Palestinian Journalist Files War Crimes Complaint Against Israeli Soldier in Madrid
Madrid (QNN)- A Palestinian journalist, who lost several relatives in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, filed a complaint against an Israeli soldier for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Arafat Al-Haj, a Palestinian living in Spain, submitted the complaint on Saturday. The soldier, Shaul Shirbatov, a first sergeant in the Israeli army, arrived in Madrid last Thursday to attend the Atletico Madrid vs. Real Madrid derby.
Al-Haj moved to Spain with his wife five years ago. He lived in Gaza, she lived in the West Bank, and border restrictions prevented them from meeting. His family, however, remained in Gaza. Spanish media reported that several of his relatives died during Israeli attacks that began on October 7, 2023.
“My sister was on the street with her children. She was killed in an airstrike with 12 to 15 others. More than 100 were injured,” Al-Haj told Spanish channel La Sexta.
After his sister’s death, Al-Haj started tracking Israel’s Combat Engineering Battalion 601, known as Unit D9. He believes the unit destroyed the neighborhood where his family lived.
The Israeli army regularly posts its operations on social media. Battalion 601 is responsible for demolishing homes and buildings after evacuation orders. Shirbatov appeared in videos smiling on a bulldozer during the destruction carried out by his unit.
“The scorched earth scenes in Gaza result mainly from these units, which enter areas after forcibly displacing civilians and destroying entire neighborhoods,” Al-Haj wrote in his complaint.
“I follow these soldiers online to see the last images of our homes in Gaza. They post videos of the explosions they carry out,” he told La Sexta.
Al-Haj was shocked to learn that Shirbatov had posted on Instagram that he was traveling to Madrid to watch a football match. After months of investigating the unit’s actions, he confirmed that Shirbatov participated in assaults in Gaza from October 9, 2024, to at least May 1, 2025. Al-Haj filed the complaint for crimes against persons and property, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Human rights lawyers Raul Maillo and another attorney assisted Al-Haj. Maillo said the complaint could lead to precautionary measures against the accused or even requests for Israeli cooperation in the investigation. “Ultimately, it also sends a message against impunity,” he added.
