France Opens Torture And War Crimes Probe Into Israel’s Treatment Of Gaza Flotilla Activists

France opened a preliminary investigation into suspected torture and war crimes over the alleged mistreatment of French nationals aboard a Gaza-bound activist flotilla that Israeli forces intercepted at sea off Cyprus on May 18.

The probe followed a referral from French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot under Article 40 of France’s criminal procedure code, and French anti-terrorism prosecutors said it was launched after receiving information about alleged violence against French activists aboard the vessel Seyma Erkul Dayanc.

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French prosecutors said the investigation concerns suspected torture and war crimes, and they entrusted it to the OCLCH, France’s central office for combating crimes against humanity and hate crimes.

The case was triggered by a video released by Israel showing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir walking among detained activists who were kneeling in tightly packed formations with their hands zip-tied, which prompted widespread international backlash.

France has since barred Ben-Gvir from entering the country, while Israeli authorities denied the allegations of abuse and Reuters said it was not able to verify them independently.

Organisers of the flotilla said activists were subjected to abuse, with several hospitalized with injuries and at least 15 reporting sexual assaults, including rape, and the activists were later released.

Israeli authorities denied the allegations of abuse, and Reuters said it was not able to verify them independently.

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In France, Barrot told France Inter that he referred the matter to the public prosecutor after receiving a report from his consul general in Turkey describing sexual violence, freezing cold, blows, and repeated humiliation, which he said were likely criminal acts.

Lawyers for the French activists said they would file a separate complaint about violence suffered by their clients, and they rejected a request from the French Foreign Ministry to hold a meeting to discuss the case.

The video that sparked the backlash showed Ben-Gvir supervising kneeling, handcuffed activists at the port of Ashdod, and France later barred him from entering its territory.

The French investigation is expected to focus on examining detention conditions and procedures taken by Israeli authorities against the French activists, and on verifying whether reported facts amount to violations of international law and human rights treaties.

The PNAT said the inquiry is being conducted on allegations of torture, as defined under the 1984 UN Convention Against Torture, and war crimes, and it is classified under the New York Convention of December 10, 1984.

The investigation is described as preliminary, with no indictment yet brought at this stage, even as the PNAT classifies the facts under the New York Convention of December 10, 1984.

Outside France, the affair provoked international backlash after the video release, and other Western countries including Canada, Germany and Italy condemned Israel’s treatment of the activists.

In parallel, the Israeli mission to the United Nations said it learned of a report due to be released soon during a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General’s door remains open to representatives of Israel.