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.
Last week, a Brazilian judge ordered police to investigate the soldier, based on the complaint brought by the HRF, accusing him of “participating in massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza during a systematic campaign of destruction.”
The lawyer who brought the case on behalf of the foundation, Maira Pinheiro, was quoted in Brazilian media as saying that as Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute, it is obliged to ensure that the crimes provided for in the statute (war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide) are investigated and punished.
The HRF is a pro-Palestinian NGO that says it is dedicated “to breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity and honoring the memory of Hind Rajab and all those who have perished in the Gaza genocide.” Rajab was a 5-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli tank fire while in her family’s car in Gaza.
The Israeli foreign ministry said Sunday that “following an attempt last weekend by anti-Israeli elements to investigate a discharged Israeli soldier who visited Brazil, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar immediately activated the Foreign Ministry to ensure that the Israeli citizen was not in danger.”
