Saar Hirshoren , an Israeli soldier under investigation in Brazil for alleged war crimes in Gaza , has left the South American country.
The news was confirmed by sources close to Israel's public broadcaster , following the issuance of an urgent investigation order by a Brazilian federal court .
Hirshoren , who was on holiday in Brazil after touring Patagonia in Argentina , is accused of taking part in the demolition of a residential block in the Gaza Strip with explosives during fighting in November 2024 .
The complaint was filed by the Palestinian organization Hind Rajab (HRF) , which specializes in tracking the activities of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers abroad.
The charges include more than 500 pages of evidence , including video recordings , geolocation data and photographs showing the military placing explosives and participating in the destruction of entire neighborhoods .
Following the opening of an investigation and an arrest warrant by the Brazilian justice system , Israel's Foreign Minister , Gideon Saar , instructed the Israeli embassy in that country to contact Hirshoren and his family to ensure his release .
However, the Hind Rajab Foundation accused Israel of obstructing justice and " destroying evidence ", calling the situation an affront to Brazil 's sovereignty and the rule of law .
Israeli media recalled a similar incident in Sri Lanka , where an IDF soldier was also warned and managed to escape after being identified by a pro-Palestinian organization.
Israel's Foreign Ministry considers this an anti-Semitic attack and has issued warnings to soldiers about social media posts related to their military service , stressing that these can be used by anti-Israel elements to initiate legal proceedings against them.
'' Their posts on social media about their military service, and the fact that anti-Israeli elements can exploit these posts to initiate legal proceedings against them,' ' Israeli authorities argued in warning once again to soldiers serving abroad.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid harshly criticized the government for the incident, calling it a " huge political failure ."
Lapid expressed concern for the safety of Israeli soldiers abroad , stating that " it cannot be that IDF soldiers are afraid to travel abroad for fear of being arrested ."
Minister Saar responded via social network X that a " patriotic " opposition leader should not take sides in favor of Brazil , " whose anti-Semitic president Lula accused Israel, at the beginning of the war, of genocide and claimed that Israel's actions are similar to those of the Nazis ."
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