Belgian authorities arrested two Israeli soldiers at the Tomorrowland Music Festival over the weekend following formal complaints of alleged war crimes in Gaza, marking the first such arrests of Israeli military personnel in Europe, two human rights organizations said.

The arrests came after the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) filed legal complaints last Friday and Saturday, accusing the soldiers of violating international humanitarian law in Gaza.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that an Israeli citizen and a soldier had been “taken in for interrogation and released shortly afterward.” However, Belgian prosecutors reported that soldiers were arrested and are now under investigation.

A criminal probe has been opened under Belgium’s universal jurisdiction clause, which permits the prosecution of serious international crimes regardless of where they were committed.

“This action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes must be met with legal response — not political indifference,” the HRF said in a statement applauding the move. 

“For the first time in Europe, Israeli suspects linked to crimes in Gaza have been subjected to formal arrest and questioning,” it added.

The HRF has previously called for similar cases in Cyprus, the Netherlands and Brazil, where Israeli military personnel have traveled amid growing calls for international accountability over the Gaza conflict.

Khalid Alsadek contributed to the reporting of this story