21 July 2025, Belgium: In what may become a turning point in the global pursuit of accountability, Belgian federal police have arrested and interrogated two Israeli soldiers credibly accused of war crimes in Gaza. The action came in response to an urgent legal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) earlier this week.

The suspects were identified and arrested with a clear show of force at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom. After being taken into custody, they were formally interrogated and released. The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway.

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.

Dearbhla Minogue, legal co-lead, 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.

Gearóid Ó Cuinn, director of GLAN said, “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.”