Pro-Palestinian NGO files complaint with ICC against Israeli foreign minister

Belgium-based pro-Palestinian non-governmental organization the Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.

The foundation announced over the weekend that it is seeking an arrest warrant for Saar for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Israel's military assault on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

As a "senior member of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu's government and a key figure in Israel's decision-making," Saar has played "a central role in shaping and implementing policies that have led to mass displacement, collective punishment, and systematic attacks on Palestinian civilians," it wrote in a statement.

He provoked violence and obstructed international justice mechanisms while participating both directly and indirectly in the crimes, according to the statement.

The foundation noted that Saar violated articles of the Rome Statute prohibiting "collective punishment and forced displacement," "the use of starvation as a method of warfare" and "persecution and systematic oppression."

The Hind Rajab Foundation also made an urgent call for action ahead of Saar's scheduled to visit Brussels on Tuesday, calling on Belgian authorities to ensure that he "does not evade justice while on European soil."

"Allowing a suspected war criminal to visit Brussels unchallenged would be a betrayal of international legal commitments and the fundamental principles of justice," the foundation said, emphasizing Belgium's legal obligation to take action against international crimes as a signatory to the Rome Statute.

The foundation, established in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Jan. 29, 2024, had previously filed a complaint with the ICC against 1,000 Israeli soldiers for "war crimes" in Gaza.