Israeli sergeant on vacation in Barcelona accused of war crimes and genocide

A Belgian foundation and the Palestinian Community of Catalonia have filed charges for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against an Israeli sergeant who was on vacation in Barcelona.

The evidence submitted includes images posted by the sergeant himself on social media, showing him bombing schools and hospitals in Gaza in 2024.

The complaint calls on Spanish authorities to investigate and detain the sergeant and two other members of his squad to provide explanations for their actions.

The lawsuit was filed by the Belgian foundation Hind Rajab, named after a Palestinian girl killed in a bombing.

The organization pursues legal action against soldiers when they are outside Israel, using foreign courts, as they distrust Israeli justice to prosecute crimes committed in Gaza.

Salah Jamal, a member of the Palestinian Community of Catalonia, which also participated in the complaint, told 3Cat in an interview that there are two previous cases of charges filed against Israeli soldiers while they were outside Israel.

However, in both cases, in Patagonia and Brazil, the soldiers returned to Israel before being summoned.

Despite the difficulty of these cases progressing, Salah Jamal believes it is essential to persist, as many Israeli soldiers hold dual nationality and occasionally leave Israel.

"Justice must act against any criminal, regardless of their origin or identity," Jamal said. "This sergeant took selfies while bombing civilian targets and proudly displayed his actions."