Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The Jerusalem Post revealed that the case of the two Israeli soldiers arrested by Belgian authorities during the Tomorrowland festival has been formally referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office, according to what was reported by the European news network in Brussels, Euronews, on Friday morning.
According to the detailed report published by the newspaper, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office received official complaints on July 18 and 19, 2025, against the two soldiers—believed to be from the Givati Brigade of the Israeli army—from the Hind Rajab organization.
The organization accused the two soldiers of participating in the "systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip" and "committing mass crimes against the Palestinian population." It noted their involvement in "crimes of torture, unlawful detention, and the deliberate destruction of homes and hospitals," as well as "direct attacks on civilians." After analyzing the complaints, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office decided to refer the case to the International Criminal Court, stressing that the decision was "in line with the pursuit of the proper administration of justice and in accordance with Belgium's international obligations, as stipulated in Article 14/10 of the former Procedural Criminal Code."
According to the European News Network website in Brussels, in response to the decision, the Hind Rajab organization commented with "cautious encouragement," but strongly criticized the lack of "deeper action" by the Belgian authorities. The organization said in a statement issued on Wednesday: "In our opinion, the suspects should not have been simply arrested, but should have been detained and subsequently tried in Belgium or handed over to the International Criminal Court."
It added: "Belgium has the legal basis and responsibility to do so. The current interpretation of its jurisdiction, in our view, is unnecessarily limited."
The organization called on the International Criminal Court to "act without delay and issue arrest warrants for the suspects." The Jerusalem Post indicated that the two soldiers may no longer be in Belgium, as they left for the Netherlands shortly after being interrogated and released by Belgian police.