Belgium Lawsuit: Israeli Soldiers Will be Hunted Down

Palestinian journalist Mohammed Al-Helou, who was injured while working in the field in the Gaza Strip, along with the Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation, filed a criminal complaint against a dual Belgian-Israeli citizen, accusing him of serving as a sniper in the Israeli army.

The Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported that Al-Helou, 24, currently residing as a refugee in the Netherlands, and the Hind Rajab Foundation submitted a request last week to a Brussels court to open an investigation into a person identified only by his initials (A.B.), believed to be residing in the Belgian capital, as well as others whose identities have not yet been revealed.

According to the complaint, A.B. served in the Refaim sniper unit of an Israeli army battalion and is suspected of involvement in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

While working as a journalist in Gaza, Al-Helou was shot by a sniper while covering events near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis between November 2023 and February 2024, despite wearing protective gear clearly marked “PRESS” to indicate his press credentials.

Al-Helou survived the attack after the bullet struck his protective vest, while his 14-year-old brother was killed during Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Al-Helou and his lawyer, Ian Vermon, from the Hind Rajab Foundation, submitted the complaint along with photos and videos, as well as medical reports and witness testimonies confirming the facts.

The Hind Rajab Foundation works to document and prosecute Israeli military personnel suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The foundation is named after Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl who was killed along with six members of her family in an Israeli airstrike that targeted their car southwest of Gaza City on January 29, 2024.

Established in Brussels in February 2024, the foundation focuses on pursuing legal action against Israeli officials and military personnel in national and international courts. Quds Press