Belgian police have questioned two members of the Israeli military following allegations of serious breaches of international humanitarian law committed in Gaza. The questioning took place after legal complaints were filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network. According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Brussels, the complaints were submitted on Friday and Saturday as the soldiers attended the Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium.
The prosecutor’s office said in a written statement on Monday that “In light of this potential jurisdiction, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office requested the police to locate and interrogate the two individuals named in the complaint.” Following the interrogations, the soldiers were released. The questioning was carried out under a new provision in Belgium’s Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows Belgian courts to investigate alleged violations abroad if the acts fall under international treaties ratified by Belgium.
The Hind Rajab Foundation hailed the development as “a turning point in the global pursuit of accountability.” The group has been campaigning for legal action against Israeli soldiers over alleged war crimes in Gaza and has filed dozens of complaints in more than 10 countries targeting both low- and high-ranking Israeli military personnel. “We will continue to support the ongoing proceedings and call on Belgian authorities to pursue the investigation fully and independently,” the foundation said in a statement. “Justice must not stop here – and we are committed to seeing it through.”
The incident comes amid growing international outrage over Israel’s conduct in its war on Gaza. More than two dozen Western countries, including Britain, France, Australia, Canada, and 21 other countries, plus the European Union, called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, saying that suffering there had “reached new depths.” The countries urged a negotiated ceasefire, the release of captives held by Palestinian armed groups, and the free flow of much-needed aid.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident, saying that one Israeli citizen and one soldier were interrogated and later released. “Israeli authorities dealt with this issue and are in touch with the two,” the ministry said in a statement.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant humanitarian concerns, with the World Food Programme accusing Israel of using tanks, snipers, and other weapons to fire on a crowd of Palestinians seeking food aid. The incident resulted in the loss of “countless lives” with many more suffering critical injuries.
Gaza’s Health Ministry described the Israeli attack, which killed at least 92 people, as one of the war’s deadliest days for civilians seeking humanitarian assistance. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023, according to local health officials.