Major General Ghassan Alian returns to Israel amid arrest request in Italy

Major General Ghassan Alian, the coordinator of government activities in the territories (COGAT), returned to Israel Wednesday morning as planned, despite an arrest warrant filed against him in Italy.

The request from the pro-Palestinian organization Hind Rajab Foundation apparently did not affect his schedule in Italy.

The request was filed two days ago with the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC) and Italian authorities. According to the anti-Israeli organization, Alian allegedly oversaw the total blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, used famine as a weapon of oppression, and deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure – including hospitals, acts that could be classified as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, according to the group.

The UN envoy for the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, known for consistently taking a stand against Israel, posted a message on X supporting the foundation's approach against Alian.

"I understand this individual may soon leave Italy, posing challenges for prompt action by Italian authorities," she wrote.

She praised the work of the foundation as "essential and must continue. Hopefully, the global legal community will become better organized, enabling swift information-sharing with authorities. This will ensure that individuals suspected of int'l crimes on their territories are taken very seriously."

Last week, the organization filed a complaint in Sweden against an IDF sniper. According to them, he should be tried for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the alleged genocide in Gaza. The organization also filed complaints in Finland, Denmark, and Norway, in case the soldier had left Sweden for one of the neighboring countries.

One of the complaints from the Palestinian organisation had already forced Yuval Vagdani, an IDF soldier, to flee Brazil two weeks ago due to a warrant issued for his alleged "war crimes." The organization is part of several groups that use content posted by soldiers on social media as "evidence of alleged war crimes" in Gaza.

According to data revealed by Israeli media, about 50 complaints have been filed against reservists abroad since the beginning of the war, of which 10 have led to investigations. So far, no soldier has been arrested. Data from the IDF's information security department reveals that servicemen post about a million items per day on social media.

As a result, the IDF decided to act against the persecution of soldiers, who have been fighting since October 7, 2023, by banning the publication of photos and identities of soldiers and officers up to the rank of brigadier general who participated in combat.

Israeli security services have already identified an increase in attempts at legal actions against IDF soldiers abroad, describing it as an "effective method" by hostile forces that could succeed. However, the current assessment suggests that there is no immediate and concrete fear of mass arrest warrants in most friendly countries.