An Ucclois would be involved as a sniper in Gaza, the federal prosecutor’s office opens an investigation confirms the Minister of Justice

According to information from the newspaper Le Soir, a Palestinian journalist whose work was relayed by “Morgen” shows the involvement of an Ucclois resident in a sniper unit.

After a six-month investigation, the man would act as a “death squad”. The federal prosecutor’s office opens a judicial investigation. Last week, Morgen showed the involvement of AB, a Belgian-Israeli aged around twenty and originally from Uccle in an Israeli army unit made up of snipers. This would be very active in the Gaza Strip.

The article in the Dutch-speaking media is based on revelations by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirawi. Specializing in open source investigation, he tracks the actions of this sniper unit which calls itself “Refaim” or ghost in Hebrew. This journalist notably collected the testimony of an American, a senior member of this sniper unit. ‘elite. According to his account, supported by videos, his group was instructed to shoot civilians, even if they were unarmed and did not pose a threat. The people who come to collect the bodies are also targets, according to his revelations. Among the 21 people making up this unit are three Americans, two French, a German, an Italian and a Belgian, originally from Uccle.

Questioned in the House by MP Ecolo Rajae Maouane, Minister of Justice Paul van Tigchelt (Open Vld) confirmed the opening of an investigation. He specified that the person concerned had no longer resided in Belgium since 2022. “If there is evidence of war crimes committed by this person, he or she could be prosecuted in Belgium via the federal prosecutor’s office, or before the International Criminal Court in The Hague”he confides to Le Soir.

Furthermore, the Belgian-Palestinian Association (ABP) filed a complaint with an investigating judge against this man, it communicated to Belga on Thursday. The complaint was transmitted to the judicial authorities on Wednesday already, and recorded this Thursday late in the morning.

According to the ABP, the confessions of the officer of this unit constitute war crimes within the meaning of article 136quater of the Belgian penal code. And given that a Belgian participates in these crimes, the Belgian courts are competent to judge him, even if the crimes were committed abroad.

Writing