Concerns Rise Over International Prosecution of Israeli Soldiers Amid War Crimes
As Brazil and other nations issue summonses for Israeli soldiers, the Israeli military intensifies efforts to protect identities amid mounting legal pressures.
Watan–The Israeli media has focused on the developments in the case of international prosecution of Israeli soldiers, in light of one soldier being summoned for questioning in Brazil on suspicion of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, which has raised increasing concerns in Israeli military and political circles.
Israeli media reported that the Brazilian “Globo” channel quoted the Brazilian authorities issuing a summons for an Israeli soldier facing charges related to war crimes committed during military operations in Gaza.
In the same context, Chilean television aired statements expressing growing public rejection of hosting Israeli soldiers, considering that those who “killed tens of thousands of Palestinians” have no place in tourism in Chilean Patagonia.
The scope of legal actions has expanded to other countries, including Argentina and Thailand, according to press reports, prompting the Israeli military to take exceptional measures related to media coverage.
Israeli Channel 12 clarified that these measures aim to protect the identities of soldiers and officers, especially those with foreign nationalities, by imposing a complete ban on revealing their identities or photographing them clearly.
New Procedures The new measures, which Major General Ran Kochav described as “delayed and insufficient,” include not disclosing the names of soldiers of the rank of colonel and below, photographing them from behind or with their faces blurred. However, they do not address the challenges posed by social media platforms, leaving gaps that may expose soldiers to further risks.
These decisions reflect the increasing pressure on the Israeli military, in light of rising lawsuits filed against it based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows for the prosecution of perpetrators of crimes even if they have no direct connection to the state filing the case.
Former head of the International Law Division in the Israeli military, Brigadier General (res.) Eran Shamir Borger, confirmed that the best way to defend soldiers is by conducting independent and serious investigations into these allegations, emphasizing the importance of announcing the results of those investigations as a means to mitigate the international legal ramifications.
Israeli channels have noted that these stringent measures come amid growing concern about the Israeli military’s ability to protect its soldiers in international forums.
