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Ex-IDF soldier lands in Israel after fleeing Brazil ‘war crimes’ probe

“We are all thrilled that he returned home safely,” said Itzik Vagdani, the soldier’s father.

By World Israel News Staff

A former Israeli soldier who fled Brazil after a local court ordered police to investigate him on war crimes charges has landed safely in Israel, Hebrew-language media reported on Wednesday morning.

Yuval Vagdani was targeted by the pro-Hamas Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) while traveling in Brazil, following his recent release from mandatory military service.

The HRF stalks the social media profiles of current and former Israel soldiers, urging local authorities to arrest them when they travel abroad.

Vagdani, who served in a unit that demolished homes used as Hamas terror assets, was forced to leave Brazil after the HRF submitted a 500-page complaint to a federal court.

The documents included images that Vagdani had posted on his social media accounts of military activities in the Strip, which were used by the HRF to claim he he was complicit in “genocide.”

A Brazilian federal court instructed police to launch a probe of Vagdani.

According to Hebrew-language media reports, Israel’s Foreign Ministry assisted Vagdani in immediately reaching Argentina. From there, he flew to Miami and then back to Israel.

“We are all thrilled that he returned home safely,” said Itzik Vagdani, the soldier’s father.

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“Yuval is a survivor of the Nova massacre, and now that he has returned home, he has told his family that he will no longer upload videos about the activities he carried out in the Gaza Strip.”

Itzik Vagdani added that his son “will never return to Brazil again. He will learn from the mistakes he made. The main thing is that he has now returned to Israel, and we are all happy that everything is behind us.”

The incident has sparked serious concerns among Israeli leadership that former and active-duty IDF soldiers could potentially be arrested while traveling abroad.

According to a report from Hebrew-language outlet Ynet, soldiers are believed to be most at risk of being detained or prosecuted in Ireland, Brazil, Spain, Belgium, and South Africa.