Belgium refers 2 Israeli soldiers to ICC over alleged war crimes in Gaza
The Belgian Public Prosecutor has decided to refer the cases of two Israeli soldiers to the International Criminal Court (ICC), following complaints accusing them of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on Wednesday, the prosecutor said the Hind Rajab Foundation, based in Brussels, had submitted two complaints against the soldiers, who had travelled to the Belgian town of Boom to attend the “Tomorrowland” music festival on 18 and 19 July.
After reviewing the complaints, the Public Prosecutor announced that the files had been transferred to the ICC, in line with Belgium’s international obligations and to ensure the proper course of justice, according to the statement.
The Hind Rajab Foundation had earlier stated, in a 21 July press release, that Belgian police had detained and questioned the two soldiers based on accusations of their involvement in war crimes in Gaza.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that two of its citizens were detained and interrogated in Belgium, without disclosing the reasons for their arrest.
Since 7 October 2023, Israel has waged what has been widely described as a campaign of genocide in Gaza, involving killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement, while ignoring international appeals and legally binding orders from the International Court of Justice to halt the offensive.
The war has resulted in over 206,000 people killed or injured — most of them women and children — along with more than 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and widespread famine that has claimed many lives.