Peru (QNN)- The Peruvian Public Prosecutor's Office has officially opened a criminal investigation against an Israeli soldier over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The investigation against the soldier from the 424th Infantry Battalion "Shaked" was filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgium-based pro-Palestine group which leads a legal push against Israeli soldiers’ war crimes in Gaza.
On April 28, 2026, the First Supraprovincial Criminal Prosecutor's Office Specialising in Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism issued a formal order initiating a 15-day inquiry into war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide committed in the Gaza Strip by the soldier.
The complaint asserts that the soldier is currently within Peruvian territory, with intelligence placing him in Lima and potentially Cusco. This presence activates Peru's duty under the principle of universal jurisdiction to prosecute the most serious international crimes, irrespective of the perpetrator's nationality or the location of the offenses.
HRF's investigation reconstructs the soldier's active role in the Gaza genocide between November 2023 and October 2024.
The filing details specific breaches of International Humanitarian Law, including systematic demolition of civilian objects. The evidence dossier includes photographic and video testimony, much of it originating from the soldier's own social media accounts, documenting the incineration of homes and the arbitrary destruction of property.
He also targeted humanitarian zones, including his presence in the vicinity of UNRWA headquarters and critical medical facilities. Operations conducted in these sectors caused catastrophic structural damage and inflicted harm on protected civilians and medical personnel.
The investigation indicates that the soldier was integrated into military units engaged in ground assaults and widespread destruction, contributing to a systematic pattern of violence directed against the civilian population as a whole.
The Peruvian Prosecutor's Office has formally recognized the legal standing of the complaint, grounding its authority in Peru's ratification of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute.
The order explicitly affirms that the mere presence of the perpetrator on national soil is sufficient to invoke universal jurisdiction, in accordance with Article 55 of the Peruvian Constitution and Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Dyab Abou Jahjah, General Director of the Hind Rajab Foundation, acknowledged Peru's role as a potential turning point in the pursuit of accountability, said, “We recognize that the authorities are following due process, and we respect that. But due process must lead to decisive action. Once the suspect's presence on Peruvian soil is confirmed—and we are confident it will be—we call on Peru to issue an arrest warrant without delay."
"The victims of these atrocities deserve nothing less than a state that stands firmly on the side of justice, and we trust that Peru will prove equal to that responsibility.”
The HRF said this case represents a “critical escalation” in HRF's global legal offensive, adding to a portfolio of over 80 complaints filed across 29 jurisdictions.
