Belgian federal police have arrested two Israeli soldiers after the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) filed complaints earlier this week.
“The suspects were identified and arrested with a clear show of force at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom. After being taken into custody, they were formally interrogated and released,” a statement from HRF explained. “The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway.”
The HRF was formed as an effort to hold Israeli soldiers accountable for war crimes when they travel abroad. The HRF said the arrests “may become a turning point in the global pursuit of accountability.”
The organization was named after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli soldiers after pleading for assistance with emergency services. “Her desperate cries for help, as she begged for rescue on the phone with emergency services, moved hearts around the world,” HRF explains on its website. “The ambulance that was sent to save her, after hours of negotiation, was obliterated by the Israeli army, ensuring that Hind’s life was cruelly and deliberately extinguished.”
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday that it received complaints from HRF and GLAN on Friday and Saturday, and determined that they may have merit. The evidence used in the complaints was sourced from the soldiers’ social media accounts.
“In light of this possible jurisdiction, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office instructed the police to locate the two individuals mentioned in the complaint and to proceed with their questioning. After the interviews, they were released,” a statement from the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said.
Israeli soldiers have frequently posted images and videos of themselves committing war crimes in Gaza on their social media feeds.
