Global 195 pursue Israeli soldier for alleged war crimes in Gaza

Pro-Palestine legal campaigners have filed a criminal complaint in Romania calling for the arrest and investigation of an individual suspected to have committed war crimes in Gaza.

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), working with a local Romanian legal team, submitted the complaint as part of the new ‘Global 195’ initiative.

As Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza continues, numerous initiatives are emerging around the world to hold Israeli perpetrators to account. The latest of these initiatives is Global 195 – an international legal coalition launched in London last week.

The complaint filed in Romania outlines allegations that the individual took part in Israeli military operations which may constitute war crimes under both Romanian and international law. 

In one photograph shared by the ICJP, the suspect is seen standing beside another male soldier dressed in female Palestinian clothing, and in another he stands with another soldier with the sea visible behind them.

The Global 195 initiative is part of a global accountability network seeking to activate existing local and international legal mechanisms to prosecute individuals suspected of committing war crimes in Gaza, wherever they may be.

The Romanian submission refers to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and urges Romanian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under the Rome Statute, as well as the Romanian Criminal Code’s provisions on war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Under domestic and international law, if a suspected war criminal is on Romanian soil, the country’s legal system must respond.  

As part of the Global 195 initiative – named for the number of countries under the jurisdiction of international criminal law – the ICJP is coordinating legal interventions across multiple jurisdictions to bring alleged war criminals in Gaza to account.

ICJP Director Tayab Ali said: “No one who commits international crimes should be able to travel the world with impunity. Our Global 195 project is a direct response to the silence of governments and the paralysis of the international community. Romania now has a legal and moral duty to act. War crimes must be met with justice.” 

ICJP is a legal organisation based in London, working to uphold international law and defend the rights of Palestinians.

The complaint marks the latest in a series of coordinated legal actions filed by ICJP across the world, as pressure intensifies on states to uphold their international obligations and bring perpetrators to account. 

Announcing Global 195’s launch at a press conference in Westminster, London, last Tuesday, the coalition’s organisers said it would work simultaneously across multiple jurisdictions to file requests for arrest warrants and initiate legal proceedings against those implicated in war crimes in Gaza.

The organisation includes lawyers from Malaysia, Turkey, Norway, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the UK among other countries.

In the UK, advanced preparations are underway to file legal cases against British citizens suspected of joining the Israeli army and committing war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

A spokesperson for Global 195 told The New Arab‘s Arabic-language edition: “The genocide in Gaza has confirmed the extent of impunity that Israel continues to enjoy.

“However, we firmly believe that a coordinated global legal movement among multiple states will make it difficult for states to continue to ignore the growing calls for accountability.”

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition with additional reporting