Israeli soldiers face risk of prosecution abroad over Gaza duty

TEL AVIV

Pro-Palestinian organizations have filed 50 complaints in courts around the world against Israeli soldiers accused committing war crimes in Gaza, Israeli media said on Jan. 6.

Such complaints have been filed in France, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Belgium, the Netherlands, Serbia, Ireland, South Africa and Greek Cyprus, several reports said, citing figures presented in a ministerial meeting.

Last week, Israel helped a former soldier leave Brazil after legal action was initiated against him by a group accusing Israelis of war crimes in the Gaza Strip based in part on soldiers' social media posts.

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.

The foundation, named for a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, described the Brazilian judges’ move as a “pivotal step toward accountability for crimes committed in the strip.”

HRF has also sought the apprehension of Israeli soldiers visiting Thailand, Sri Lanka, Chile and other countries, according to its website.

The Brazil case raised the prospect that rank-and-file Israeli troops could also face prosecution while abroad.

The foundation has a team and system to identify Israeli soldiers who have published videos to social media and to file complaints against the soldiers on that basis.

Throughout the war, Israeli soldiers have posted numerous videos from Gaza that appear to show them rummaging through homes and blowing up or burning residential buildings. In some, they chant racist slogans or boast about destroying the Palestinian territory.

The soldiers publish nearly 1 million posts every day on social media platforms that document their involvement in the Gaza campaign, an army sources told the KAN public broadcaster.

The Foreign Ministry warned soldiers against posting on social media about their military service, saying that "anti-Israel elements may exploit these posts to initiate baseless legal proceedings against them.”

A parliamentary committee on Jan. 6 will discuss actions against Israeli soldiers around the world.

A joint desk has been set up by the army, the Foreign Ministry, the National Security Council and the Shin Bet domestic intelligent agency to assess legal threats.

“Assessing legal risks has become an essential part of the decision-making process, with directives issued to reduce activity on social networks," the source added.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.