"After nearly ten months of tracking Israeli soldiers abroad, the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) have scored a symbolic breakthrough: the arrest and interrogation of two Israeli soldiers in Belgium on war crimes allegations related to the war in Gaza.
The soldiers were released after questioning. Belgian prosecutors, however, said a formal investigation was underway.
For observers of international justice, the incident signals a potential turning point — a shift from symbolic outrage to legal accountability for Israeli military actions in the Palestinian territories, raising diplomatic concerns in Israel.
“The era of impunity is coming to an end, and a new era of accountability is beginning,” said Dearbhla Minogue, a senior lawyer at GLAN involved in the case. “These unimaginable atrocities will be examined by courts around the world — and those responsible will be prosecuted and imprisoned to protect society.”
“It is the first time that law enforcement authorities in Europe have exercised universal jurisdiction against Israeli soldiers,” said Fiona Thorp, a legal fellow for International Crimes and Accountability at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin. “I hope this will motivate other European states to follow suit. These actions are essential in light of Israel’s unwillingness to hold its armed forces to account.”"
https://jacobin.com/2025/08/belgium-israeli-soldiers-arrest-gaza