IDF soldiers arrested in Belgium during music festival

Anti-Israel group responsible for war crimes investigations against former Israeli soldiers claims Belgian authorities arrested two IDF soldiers over their involvement in Gaza war.

By World Israel News Staff

Two Israeli soldiers were taken into custody while attending a music festival in Belgium over the weekend.

The two soldiers, whose names have not been publicized, were visiting Boom, Belgium, outside Antwerp, for the annual Tomorrowland music festival.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday the arrest of the two soldiers, though the circumstances surrounding their arrest are in dispute.

The Hind Rajab Foundation, an anti-Israel group that lobbies local authorities around the world to arrest Israeli soldiers on war crimes charges, claims the two soldiers were taken into custody in response to a complaint filed by the group over the soldiers’ involvement in the war in Gaza.

The Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) also signed on to the HRF complaints against the soldiers.

According to a report by Yedioth Ahronoth, however, the two were detained for publicly displaying military symbols linked to the IDF’s Givati Brigade.

The two were reportedly briefly detained before being released.

Nevertheless, the Hind Rajab Foundation touted the arrests as precedent-setting.

“For the first time in Europe, Israeli suspects linked to Gaza crimes were subjected to formal arrest and interrogation,” the HRF announced.

There has been no indication from Belgian authorities that the arrests were linked to the HRF’s complaint or that a war crimes probe has been launched against the soldiers.

The HRF accused the IDF’s Givati Brigade of being “involved in the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and in carrying out mass atrocities against the Palestinian population.”

Both the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli military have been in contact with the two soldiers following their release from custody.