Hundreds of Israeli soldiers allegedly involved in international crimes in Gaza have dual French-Israeli citizenship. However, no investigation has yet been opened in France. Our organisations call for the immediate opening of an investigation against one of them, Yoel. O.
Paris, 17 December 2024. Today, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Palestinian and French member organisations Al-Haq, Al Mezan, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and the LDH (Ligue des droits de l'Homme) filed a civil party complaint with the War Crimes Unit of the Paris Tribunal against Yoel O., a Franco-Israeli soldier who served in Gaza in the course of Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign against Palestinians. He is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, torture, and complicity in these crimes committed against Palestinians in Israeli custody.
This civil party complaint is based on a video consisting of several scenes published on social media networks. The video shows Palestinian detainees dressed in white overalls, their hands tied and blindfolded, being subjected to insults in French. At least one of the detainees shows visible signs of torture. Yoel O. is believed to be the author of this video.
Issam Younis, Al Mezan’s Director Issam, stated: "We have provided the French judicial authorities with testimonies from Palestinian victims who endured severe forms of torture while in Israeli custody. These accounts strongly correspond to the methods shown in the video, illustrating the systematic nature of these actions and reflecting a state-sanctioned policy. This evidence underscores the urgent need to address these crimes and pursue legal action at every level, including within national jurisdictions.”
Shawan Jabarin, General Director of Al-Haq stated that, “Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly disappeared at checkpoints, transferred to torture detention camps under Israeli control and subjected to the most extreme and brutal torture methods. These heinous acts are categorically prohibited under international law. It is a matter of urgency that France investigates, prosecutes, and punishes its nationals who are implicated in atrocity crimes, including genocide in Gaza”.
To date, no judicial investigation has been opened in France.
Since 7 October 2023, Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza has killed at least 44,000 Palestinians and wounded another 105,000 Palestinians. There is strong evidence of international crimes committed by several of the nearly 4,000 French citizens serving in the Israeli army. Yet, to date, the French authorities have not opened any judicial investigation into these crimes.
Raji Sourani, General Director of PCHR, said: "A state who claims democracy and respect for international law must immediately investigate its nationals who are responsible for the commission of international crimes, like torture, and hold them accountable. Hundreds of French nationals are presumably involved in crimes against Palestinians in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the French authorities have a moral and legal obligation to bring those involved to justice. France should not be a safe haven for criminals nor allow impunity to prevail."
Since 7 October 2023, as part of its ground invasion of Gaza, the Israeli army has taken thousands of Palestinian civilians into custody—among them children, the elderly, journalists, and health workers. Although Palestinian residents of Gaza are protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel detains them through the Unlawful Combatants Law. The Unlawful Combatants Law has been amended several times by the Israeli authorities over the past year and, as of its latest amendment, allows the detention of individuals without charges for 30 days and denies them access to a lawyer for at least 45 days.
During their detention and transfers, Palestinians are subjected to various forms of physical and psychological violence, torture, other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and punishment, and enforced disappearance—all of which constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
‘The opening of investigations into crimes committed by dual citizens serving in the Israeli army is one of the essential components of the judicial response that must be given to the mass atrocities perpetrated by Israel in Gaza,’ stated Alexis Deswaef, lawyer for the plaintiffs and Vice-president of FIDH, and Clémence Bectarte, lawyer and coordinator of FIDH’s Litigation Action Group. ‘Given the scale of the crimes committed, the investigation conducted by the ICC is not enough. Every State that can exercise its jurisdiction must open judicial investigations.”
“It is time for French justice to address the international crimes committed by French citizens fighting in the Israeli army,” says Nathalie Tehio, President of the LDH. ‘The French government must step up to its responsibilities. It cannot allow the abuses committed by its citizens to go unpunished.”
An initial complaint had been lodged against Yoel O. in April 2024. However, according to the Public Prosecutor's Office, this complaint was dismissed due to insufficient evidence of the offence. Our organisations are filing this civil party complaint to fight the inertia of the Public Prosecutor.
Click here to read this press release in French.