Belgium starts a war crimes probe on an Israeli soldier in Gaza.

Belgium has started a war crimes inquiry aimed at a dual Belgian-Israeli soldier now fighting for Israel in Gaza in a major step. Having started on Wednesday, this research underscores the growing worldwide scrutiny of events involving the continuous Israel-Hamas conflict. The investigation centers on a 20-year-old soldier from Brussels' upscale district of Uccle who serves in an elite Israeli military squad supposedly engaged in violent events against civilians.

Lead by Belgium's federal prosecutor's office, the inquiry investigates allegations made by Palestinian journalist Younis Tirowicz, who claimed via an X (formerly Twitter) social media post that the Israeli sniper unit known as "Refaim," Hebrew for "Ghosts," executed "brutal executions of unarmed civilians." The spokesman of the federal prosecutor verified that Belgium is working with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to validate the claims and that a file on probable war crimes has been created.

This discovery occurs under a backdrop of rising tensions following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which left over 1,200 people dead, primarily civilian. The Gaza health ministry claims that Israel's later military action in Gaza has resulted in shockingly high civilian casualties—more than 42,000 people apparently have died. Although Israel's right to self-defense is acknowledged by the international community, questions over the proportionality and legality of the retaliatory attacks have been voiced.

Emphasizing the seriousness of the inquiry, Belgian Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt underlined that Israel, like every state, is limited by international humanitarian law. He underlined that Belgium's investigation seeks to confirm the media's reported accounts and guarantee responsibility for any possible violations.

The examination also underlines Belgium's larger dedication to international justice, especially its readiness to hold people responsible for activities that might qualify as war crimes independent of country. This signifies Belgium's cooperation with the ICC, which is already investigating accusations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for allegedly war crimes in Gaza. Though they have since been slain in the continuing fighting, arrest warrants have also been issued against prominent Hamas officials including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh.

Israel has constantly portrayed its military actions in Gaza as required to destroy Hamas' military apparatus. But the great civilian death toll and the targeting of highly inhabited regions have attracted strong criticism from international legal authorities and humanitarian agencies. Belgium's inquiry could create a standard for other countries to follow similar policies, therefore stressing the need of following the guidelines of war even in very trying conditions.

This case sharpens the junction of national sovereignty, international law, and human rights as the situation in Gaza is getting more severe. The result of Belgium's investigation might not only influence its own foreign policy but also affect the whole global reaction to the crisis.