By Itamar Eichner, Yoav Zitun
Copyright ynetnews
A legal complaint was filed in Spain on Saturday against an active-duty IDF soldier visiting Madrid, accusing him of war crimes in Gaza after he shared social media posts showing his participation in demolitions during the war. According to Spanish media, the case was brought before Spain’s National Court by a Palestinian journalist from Gaza, who lives in the country as a refugee. He demanded the soldier’s arrest on charges of “crimes against people and property during an armed conflict, crimes against humanity, and genocide.” The soldier, identified only as “S.,” is a combat engineering sergeant major who documented his trip to Spain online, including the hotel where he stayed. Hours before the complaint was filed, he posted that he planned to attend the Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. The complaint is based on Instagram photos and videos from April showing him alongside bulldozers during house demolitions in Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood. A team of lawyers representing the complainant acknowledged that the chances of an actual arrest are low. “The aim is to send a message: one cannot commit genocide during the week and then travel to Spain as a tourist to watch football,” they told Spanish daily Público. They urged the court to act quickly, fearing the soldier might leave Spain soon. Following the filing, he did not attend the football match. The complaint cites “serious violations” of Article 147 of the Geneva Convention, accusing the soldier of arbitrary destruction not justified by military necessity and intended to make life in Gaza impossible. It includes photos from his Instagram account, such as a January 2024 image showing him receiving a battalion award, and a May 2025 photo of him receiving a certificate of excellence bearing his full name. The complainant, identified as 42-year-old Al-Haj Arafat, said dozens of his family members were killed in Israeli airstrikes in 2023, including his sister and nieces, and that his family home was destroyed in operations involving the soldier’s unit. The complaint argues that combat engineering units play a key role in “massive demolitions through explosions and heavy machinery” in Gaza, leaving behind “scorched-earth” devastation. It asks police to arrest the soldier and place him on trial. Attorney Antonio Segura, one of the complainant’s lawyers, told Público that the court should order the soldier’s detention “at least to take his testimony, so the facts can be used by the International Criminal Court.”
