Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it had facilitated the departure of a former Israeli soldier from Brazil after legal action was initiated against him for war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The action was confirmed on Sunday by the Israeli army radio.

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a complaint with the Brazilian authorities against Yuval Vagdani, a former IDF soldier who was on vacation in Brazil, accusing him of participating in massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza. The organization cited video footage, geolocation data, and photographs showing the participation of Vagdani in the destruction of several neighborhoods in Gaza.

According to HRF, the acts undertaken by Vagdani are part of a larger and systematic effort to make the lives of Palestinian civilians unbearable, arguing that they constitute genocide and crimes against humanity.

After Vagdani departed from Brazil to Argentina, HRF stated that such actions undermine accountability for war crimes, as justice “cannot be selective or optional.”

Following the lawsuit, the lawyer hired by HRF to represent the case said that she received death threats against her and her daughter, including the publication of her personal information on the web.

Additionally, families whose homes were destroyed joined the case as plaintiffs, authorizing the HRF legal team to represent them. Under the principle of Universal Jurisdiction, courts in Brazil are permitted to hear cases involving these crimes, even if they were committed outside the country. This is based on the notion that such crimes harm the international community, and that the perpetrators should be held accountable regardless of where the crimes were committed.