A pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel group in Belgium reportedly filed a complaint to the Belgian government against Israel’s new military attaché in Brussels, accusing him of war crimes.
Belgium’s Flemish-language De Morgen newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation claimed that in his previous position, Col. Moshe Tetro was responsible for implementing a policy of starvation in Gaza.
Other foreign news outlets reported that the pro-Palestinian organization also referred Tetro to the International Criminal Court, which filed arrest warrants for Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Tetro previously served as head of COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration to Gaza, the IDF unit responsible for coordinating aid into the Strip.
“Here we are dealing with a key figure in the implementation of Israeli policy toward hospitals and the strategy of famine and thirst as a weapon of war,” Dyab Abou Jahjah, chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation, told De Morgen.
Israel denies accusations of limiting aid to Gaza and says shortages are due to the inability of international organizations to distribute aid and looting by Hamas and armed gangs.
Israeli Ambassador to Belgium Idit Rosenzweig-Abu told De Morgen that Israel rejects the accusations. “Israel acts according to international law,” she said.
She also said Tetro is a decorated and respected officer and noted that Belgium had no problem accepting him as military attaché.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, an Israeli source said that the Hind Rajab Foundation is “obsessive” and has filed “dozens of complaints against officers in The Hague, Brussels, and other places around the world. The head of the organization, Diab Abu Gajjah, is Lebanese, and has previously justified the September 11 attacks.”
The source added that Israel’s military attaché has diplomatic immunity in Belgium.
The IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit said that “Colonel Moshe Tetro is a highly respected and distinguished officer,” and that “as with every mission and assignment, the IDF takes all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of its personnel and officers.”
“The IDF strongly rejects allegations of war crimes and reiterates that the IDF’s activities are carried out in accordance with the instructions of the political echelon and in compliance with international law,” the military added.
Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations that a policy of starvation is being implemented in Gaza, claiming it has allowed hundreds of thousands of tons of aid, including food, into the enclave.
The war in Gaza started when Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, to kill some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and take 251 hostages.
Israel’s counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The figure, which cannot be independently verified, does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.