Belgian authorities arrest 2 Israeli war crimes suspects after Hind Rajab Foundation/GLAN complaint

Alleged war criminals captured at music festival

As a European nation finally takes action against alleged Israeli war criminals who so far have been permitted to come and go freely within the EU and the UK – and often even protected by the UK and other colluding governments – federal police uin Belgium have arrested and interrogated two Israeli soldiers accused, with evidence, of war crimes in Gaza.

The arrests, at a Belgian music festival, came after an urgent legal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) at the weekend. The suspects were identified and arrested with a clear show of force at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, then later released under criminal investigation after formal interrogation. Governments have previously colluded with wanted war criminals to escape prosecution after similar complaints; any Belgian official who tries to do the same must face charges.

GLAN warned watching governments that they are under legal obligation to take similar action if presented with an opportunity:

This development is a significant step forward. It signals that Belgium has recognized its jurisdiction under international law and is treating the allegations with the seriousness they deserve. At a time when far too many governments remain silent, this action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes must be met with legal response — not political indifference.

We do not claim that justice has been served — not yet. But we believe something important has begun. For the first time in Europe, Israeli suspects linked to crimes in Gaza have been subjected to formal arrest and questioning. This would not have been possible without the strength of the law and the will to apply it.

To the victims and survivors in Gaza: we see you, we hear you, and we carry your demands for justice forward.

To those who believed impunity was permanent: this moment shows that it is not.

And to states watching around the world: universal jurisdiction is not just a principle — it is an obligation.

Palestinian anti-genocide groups have previously put UK government ministers on notice that they are preparing private prosecutions against UK citizens who assist Israel’s genocide – including Keir Starmer.

Dearbhla Minogue, legal co-lead of GLAN, said:

The era of impunity is coming to a close, and the era of accountability is beginning. The gravity of these unimaginable atrocities will be set out across multiple courts all over the globe – the public record will be set and the perpetrators will be imprisoned for the protection of society.

The Hind Rajab Foundation and GLAN welcome this breakthrough with determination and humility. We will continue to support the ongoing proceedings and call on Belgian authorities to pursue the investigation fully and independently. Justice must not stop here — and we are committed to seeing it through.

GLAN director Gearóid Ó Cuinn added:

The arrest of two Israeli soldiers points to the growing relevance of universal jurisdiction and highlights the pressing need for authorities to act on credible allegations of international crimes. This is one of several strategies needed in the face of ongoing atrocities—most urgently, the intentional mass starvation of civilians in Gaza. What’s different now is the emergence of a coordinated, transnational network of lawyers and investigators working to make such prosecutions possible.

Please remember to support Skwawkbox if you can, to help ensure it can keep running. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you’d like to help it keep revealing the news as it is and not what the Establishment wants you to hear – and can afford to without hardship – please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (Skwawkbox will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount as it has to be entered by us). Alternatively, if you prefer to make a one-off or recurring donation by simple card payment, please use the form below:

Thanks for your solidarity so Skwawkbox can keep doing its job of inconveniencing the right and helping to build the left!

If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so, but please include the donor information above – see here for more.