According to ISNA, these media reported that the escape of officer Elisha Leifman, who was on vacation in Cyprus with his wife, took place after the Belgian organization “Hind Rajab” released clips of his fighting in the Gaza Strip, in one of which he says: “We will not stop until we burn the whole of Gaza.”
The Hebrew newspaper “Yisrael Hayom” wrote that the Israeli Foreign Ministry, after a meeting with the Ministry of Justice, decided that the officer should leave Cyprus before he is tried on charges of war crimes and genocide, and informed him of this in an urgent call.
The website of the Indian Rajab Institute stated that in the complaint filed by the human rights organization against Officer Leifman, a picture of him was attached, where he was burning civilian property and pointing to the destroyed civilian homes in Gaza, talking about the forced displacement of Palestinians and encouraging settlement construction.
The institute also pointed to the social media posts of the Israeli officer during his trip to Cyprus, which incited violence against a Lebanese restaurant.
The Indian Rajab Institute filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court against 1,000 Israeli soldiers, accusing them of genocide in the Gaza Strip, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
On the other hand, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the officer had announced that he and his wife would travel to Cyprus for a vacation. This announcement became the basis for pro-Palestinian organizations to request an arrest warrant.
According to Yedioth, pro-Palestinian organizations filed an official complaint with the Cypriot authorities, accusing the soldier of committing war crimes and genocide in Gaza, citing videos he posted, and demanding his arrest and investigation.
The Indian Rajab Institute said in a statement: “Cyprus has officially launched an investigation into this case and has informed our legal team of this action. This is a step in the right direction. We hope that Cyprus will stand firm against political pressure.”
Officer Leifman wrote on social media after returning to the occupied territories: “We will share what we have been through later. But our return, of course two days earlier than originally planned, is a miracle.”
