Iran Press/America: The case is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) that has tracked the activities of hundreds of Israeli soldiers serving in Gaza.
Last week, a Brazilian judge ordered police to investigate the soldier, based on the complaint brought by the HRF, accusing him of “participating in massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza during a systematic campaign of destruction.”
The lawyer who brought the case on behalf of the foundation, Maira Pinheiro, was quoted in Brazilian media as saying that as Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute, it is obliged to ensure that the crimes provided for in the statute (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) are investigated and punished.
The HRF is a human rights NGO that says it is dedicated “to breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity and honoring the memory of Hind Rajab and all those who have perished in the Gaza genocide.” Rajab was a 5-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli tank fire while in her family’s car in Gaza.
The Israeli foreign ministry said Sunday that “following an attempt last weekend by anti-Israeli elements to investigate a discharged Israeli soldier who visited Brazil, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar immediately activated the Foreign Ministry to ensure that the Israeli citizen was not in danger.”
The Brazilian case has kicked off a political furor in Israel. The leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, said: “The fact that an Israeli reserve soldier had to flee Brazil in the middle of the night to avoid being arrested for fighting in Gaza is a monumental political failure of a government that is simply incapable of functioning.”
“Moms Up,” a group of Israeli soldiers’ mothers, has written to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF Chief of Staff following the case in Brazil, saying: “We see you as the sole responsible party for removing the legal risk facing our children.”
Human rights organizations have filed 50 complaints in courts around the world against Israeli soldiers for committing war crimes in Gaza, Israeli media said on Monday.
“About 50 complaints have been filed against reserve soldiers, 10 of which have been investigated without any arrests recorded so far,” the public broadcaster KAN said.
KAN did not name these countries. However, the Israeli daily Haaretz said South Africa, Sri Lanka, Belgium, France, and Brazil saw complaints filed against Israeli soldiers.
KAN, citing the army’s information security department, said Israeli soldiers publish nearly one million posts every day on social media platforms that document their involvement in war crimes in Gaza.
“No official instructions have been issued to ban travel to specific countries, but special cases are being dealt with cautiously,” it added.
According to KAN, Israeli security authorities have recommended re-evaluating “high-risk” trips.
“Assessing legal risks has become an essential part of the decision-making process, with directives issued to reduce activity on social networks," it added.
Israeli media said Sunday that an Israeli reservist soldier on vacation in Brazil fled the country after a case was brought against him for war crimes in Gaza.
The Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,800 people, mostly women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on the enclave.
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