Advocates launch legal push for Argentina, Chile to arrest Israeli soldier
Al Jazeera
Hind Rajab Foundation has been pursuing legal cases against Israeli soldiers across the globe, citing war crimes.
An advocacy group has initiated legal action in Argentina and Chile, urging the countries to arrest an Israeli soldier for war crimes in Gaza.
The cases filed in Argentina and Chile announced on Thursday cite both national and international legal obligations. They come among a wider effort by the Belgium-based Hind Rajab Foundation to pressure countries across the world to seek more comprehensive justice for abuses committed in the Palestinian enclave.
The cases target Israeli soldier Saar Hirshoren for what the Hind Rajab Foundation described as his role in the 749 Combat Engineering Battalion, which chair Dyab Abou Jahjah described as being “systematically involved in the destruction of civilian infrastructure” in Gaza.
The foundation has simultaneously filed a complaint against the entire battalion with the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide”.
Local prosecutors working with the group filed the criminal complaint in Argentina on December 24 and Chile the next day, calling for Hirshoren’s arrest. The foundation said Hirshoren was initially in Argentina when the first case was filed, before leaving for Chile.
