An Israeli soldier who took part in the Gaza war went on a trip to Brazil. After a case was filed against him there, he suddenly fled the country. The lawsuit alleges that the Israeli soldier was responsible for war crimes while serving in the Gaza war.
This is the latest case in a series of legal actions taken by The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF). The foundation tracks the movements of hundreds of Israeli soldiers serving in Gaza.
Last week, a Brazilian judge ordered the country's police to investigate the Israeli soldier based on HRF's complaint. The HRF alleges that the soldier participated in an operation designed to destroy civilian homes on a large scale in Gaza.
Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Convention, Brazilian media reports quoted lawyer Maria Pinheiro, who filed the case on behalf of the foundation, as saying. The country is committed to ensure the investigation and punishment of the perpetrators of the crimes mentioned in this agreement (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide).
Pro-Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) HRF said it works to break Israel's cycle of impunity by honoring the memory of those who lost their lives in the Gaza massacre, including members of The Hind Rajab Foundation. Rajab, a five-year-old girl, was killed by an Israeli tank shell in Gaza.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said yesterday on Sunday, an attempt was made to investigate a former Israeli soldier who visited Brazil at the end of last week using anti-Israel materials. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar immediately activated the ministry to protect the Israeli citizen from danger.
The Israeli Embassy in Brazil ensured the safe and speedy departure of the fleeing soldiers.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that posts related to military service by Israelis on social media have come to the attention of the ministry. It has also been reported that these posts may be used to initiate baseless legal proceedings against them.
According to HRF's website, the organization also wants to arrest Israeli soldiers visiting Thailand, Sri Lanka, Chile and other countries. In Sri Lanka's case, the agency posted a photo of an Israeli soldier and appealed to the Sri Lankan administration, the International Criminal Court and Interpol to arrest the soldier for allegedly killing civilians in Gaza.
However, as a result of HRF's case, it has not yet been confirmed whether any Israeli soldiers have been detained or arrested.
A case against the soldier in Brazil has sparked political unrest in Israel. Yair Lapid, the country's opposition leader, said an Israeli soldier fled Brazil in the middle of the night to avoid arrest for allegedly fighting in Gaza. This is a monumental political failure for the Israeli government. Simply put, this government has lost its ability.
However, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar gave a strong response to the opposition leader's comments. He said, 'Even the inept Lapid knows that we are dealing with a planned and anti-Semitic campaign. The purpose of that campaign is to deny Israel its right to self-defense. Countless international circles and countries are involved in that initiative.
MM APPS, an organization of mothers of Israeli soldiers, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF Chief of Staff regarding the incident in Brazil. There they said, 'Our children are facing legal risk. We see you as the only responsible person to eliminate this risk.
The organization also said the Israeli army was forced to act amid a political vacuum and pressure from extremist groups. They have to work without the necessary legal protection as a shield from harmful circles around the world.
A former senior Israeli official told CNN on condition of anonymity that foreign forces continue to press charges against Israelis who served in the war; But no one has been arrested or prosecuted yet. He said that human rights groups are not going after high-ranking officials and politicians like in the past, but they are going after ordinary soldiers.
The Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the Israeli Parliament Knesset will discuss the measures taken against Israeli forces around the world on Monday.
