Hundreds of Israeli soldiers have actively participated in violence and violations against Palestinians in the Gaza over the past 15 months [Getty/file photo]
Switzerland has opened a criminal case against an Israeli soldier accused of carrying out war crimes in Gaza following a legal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation.
Swiss authorities are investigating the army reservist for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including attacks on civilians, the destruction of homes and hospitals, and the forced displacement of people during Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, the foundation said. The organisation is named after the six-year-old Palestinian girl who was brutally killed by Israeli forces in January last year.
The Belgium-based foundation stated that “accountability must not stop at high-ranking officials”, insisting that those directly responsible for atrocities on the ground must also be brought to justice.
The organisation referenced Israeli Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who are facing arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“Individual soldiers and officers who carried them [war crimes] out must also face the full force of international law,” the foundation said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The Hind Rajab Foundation welcomes Switzerland’s commitment to upholding international law and ensuring that war criminals do not find safe haven on its territory. This investigation sends a clear message: there will be no sanctuary for those who commit war crimes, regardless of rank or nationality,” it said.
Israel launched a 15-month long miliary onslaught in the Gaza Strip beginning on 7 October 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians, as more bodies continue to be recovered.
The war-battered enclave is currently observing the first phase of a ceasefire, which entails a halt in fighting, the return of Palestinians to their homes in north Gaza and the exchange of hundreds of Palestinian detainees for 33 Israeli captives.
The identity of the Israeli soldier has not been disclosed. The foundation, however, has filed similar complaints against other army soldiers on similar accusations in Spain, Thailand and Brazil.
It also urged Italian authorities to arrest Major General Ghassan Alian, the head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) while he was in the country.
