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Israel has warned its soldiers against posting their actions in Gaza on social media, after a Brazilian court asked police to investigate an Israeli soldier visiting the country who was accused of participate in war crimes.
The action, launched by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a pro-Palestinian group, was based in part on video footage and photographs that HRF claimed showed soldiers participating in the demolition of homes in Gaza. .
Israel’s foreign ministry said on Sunday that officials from the Brazilian embassy immediately helped the man leave the country without being detained.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs draws the attention of Israelis to the social media about their military service, and the fact that the Israeli adversaries can exploit these activities to start frivolous cases against them,” the Ministry added.
Brussels-based HRF hailed the decision by Brazil’s federal court as “absurd” to accept jurisdiction over the case and ordered police to act quickly.
“This is a historic moment,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, HRF chairman. “It sets a strong example for nations to take bold action to hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable.”
The incident is the latest example of the collapse of law since Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed more than 45,800 people so far, according to Palestinian officials, and reduced much of the area to irreparable ruins. built and causing a humanitarian crisis.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of “a colossal political failure” at the time, he argued that the creation of a government commission of inquiry into the war – which Netanyahu rejected – would have helped prevent such legal actions.
“How did we get to the point where the Palestinians are better than the Israeli government in the international arena?” wrote to X.
Israel launched an offensive in Gaza in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials, and captured 250.
The United Nations’ top court is hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Israel has strongly denied the allegations of genocide and called the South African case “grossly twisted”. Israel says its forces in Gaza are acting in accordance with international law and Netanyahu’s office has dismissed the arrest warrants as “antisemitic”.
Abou Jahjah said the HRF has submitted evidence to the ICC against nearly 1,000 Israeli soldiers to help strengthen its case against Israeli leaders.
The group has also compiled a list of soldiers it suspects have been involved in war crimes and is monitoring their movements through social media, he said.
Abou Jahjah said: “We knew he was in Brazil when he entered and we filed a 400-page letter against him three days later.” “We are not facing all Israeli soldiers, but only those suspected of having committed war crimes.”
He added that they are gathering evidence about international crimes “starting with entering homes and looting and destroying property and destroying all the neighborhoods, including hospitals, public services and houses of worship” .
He said: “There is also killing people, kidnapping people, torturing people and posing as prisoners.
HRF has also filed war crimes complaints against a number of Israeli soldiers who are dual citizens of countries including Belgium, France and Holland with a view to initiating prosecutions there.
Some of these cases are still under investigation, Abou Jahjah said, while others have been dismissed by national courts and are being appealed by HRF. “We are optimistic about the cases in Belgium,” he said.
