French anti-terror prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected 'torture' and 'war crimes' related to Israel's treatment of French activists who participated in a humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza last month.
The investigation was launched on Friday after the French Foreign Ministry referred the case to prosecutors at the end of May, according to the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT). The case stems from complaints by activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, who accuse Israeli authorities of severe mistreatment during their detention.
Israel arrested and detained around 430 activists from approximately 40 countries after intercepting their ship in international waters on May 18. The activists were undertaking the latest in a series of efforts to break the blockade of Gaza, which the United Nations and human rights groups deem illegal and describe as collective punishment.
Details of the allegations
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sparked widespread criticism after posting a video mocking activists while they were handcuffed. France subsequently banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country and summoned the Israeli ambassador, joined by several other Israeli allies in reacting to the incident.
Some French activists described violent and humiliating experiences when eight of them returned home on May 22. Two of the more than 30 French nationals on board remain hospitalized in Turkey. One recounted being groped and slapped in the face by Israeli soldiers in a dark container, leaving her fearing sexual assault. Another described activists being forced into 'stress positions,' kneeling with foreheads touching the ground for hours, while the Israeli national anthem was played repeatedly.
Expert assessments
Suhad Bishara, legal director at Adalah, an Israeli legal center for Palestinian rights, said that without accountability, Israel would continue using violence against activists. She described the incident as potentially the worst case of mistreatment in the past decade, possibly rising to the level of torture.
Adalah lawyers have documented repeated instances of physical violence causing serious injury, prolonged stress positions, and sexual harassment. The Global Sumud Flotilla reported at least 15 cases of sexual abuse.
Lawyers for the French activists said they would file separate complaints over allegations of rape, torture, and humiliation. The activists have refused to meet with the French government to discuss their experiences, accusing the government of supporting Israel's genocidal war in Gaza.
Israel's prison service, when asked by AFP for comment, stated the allegations were 'completely baseless.' Meanwhile, Francesca Albanese, the UN expert on Palestinian territories, noted that the treatment of these activists was 'lighter compared to what Palestinians endure in Israeli prisons.'
