French judicial authorities announced today, Friday, the initiation of formal investigations concerning suspicions of Israeli occupation forces committing torture and war crimes. These investigations target violations suffered by French citizens who were aboard the Global Freedom Flotilla, which attempted to break the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip weeks ago.
The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office reported that it received a formal referral from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 28 to investigate these transgressions. This legal step is based on Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which obliges public officials to report any felonies or misdemeanors that come to their attention during the performance of their duties.
The Public Prosecution has entrusted the Central Office for Combating Crimes Against Humanity and Hate Crimes with the task of research and investigation, to ensure the accuracy of the investigations into the complaints filed. Investigators seek to ascertain the details of the attacks that occurred in the Mediterranean Sea and the subsequent detention operations within Israeli interrogation centers.
The details of the incident date back to May 18, when the Israeli navy intercepted the Freedom Flotilla boats in international waters as they headed towards the Strip. The flotilla included about 50 boats carrying more than 400 humanitarian activists from 44 countries, all of whom were arrested despite their assertion of the peaceful nature of their relief mission.
Following their deportation to their home countries on May 22, eight French activists revealed horrific details of what they described as a 'violent and humiliating' experience during their detention. These activists confirmed in press testimonies that the treatment they received from Israeli soldiers violated all international conventions related to human rights and the protection of civilians.
For her part, French activist Myriam Hajjaj recounted details of the physical assault and sexual harassment she was subjected to during her forced detention. Hajjaj explained that the soldiers used excessive violence against her, including hitting her on the head and assaulting her with knees to the rib area, as well as abusing her and violently pulling her hair.
In the context of political moves, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu affirmed before Parliament that Paris is following the case with utmost seriousness. Lecornu indicated that the government does not rule out any judicial path to hold accountable those responsible for the ill-treatment of French citizens who were participating in a purely humanitarian mission.
The international outrage was further intensified by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's publication of a video documenting his direct supervision of the abuse of activists. Human rights circles considered this recording to be conclusive evidence of the involvement of Israeli political leaders in inciting crimes against international solidarity activists.
These violations led to a wave of widespread summonses for Israeli ambassadors in several European and international capitals to protest the conduct of the occupation army. The list of objecting countries, in addition to France, included Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and Britain, amid calls for an independent international investigation into the incident.
One of the soldiers started hitting me on the head after I refused to follow him, while another delivered a strong knee blow to my ribs and grabbed me by my hair.
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France opens formal investigation into suspicions of Israel committing war crimes against Freedom Flotilla activists