French judges open war crimes probe into Israeli strike that killed seven in Beirut

Two French judges have opened a judicial investigation into a suspected war crime involving an Israeli air strike on a residential building in Beirut in November 2024 that killed seven civilians, including the parents of Franco-Lebanese artist Ali Cherri. The probe was launched following a complaint made by Cherri and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in April. It marks the first time an Israeli army alleged crime in Lebanon has been investigated by the French judiciary since the start of its military operations in October 2023, FIDH and Cherri's lawyer told AFP.

“For almost two years, I have been fighting [...] to ensure that the Israeli bombing that killed my parents and five other civilians does not go unpunished,” Cherri told AFP. He said the opening of the investigation was “a huge step forward for my family and me, even though we know that the road to justice will still be long and difficult”. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters “What happened to my parents is not an isolated case.

Beyond my personal story and the memory of my parents, this fight is also about the dignity of all civilian victims,” he said. 'Beirut Fragments' captures the horror Israel keeps inflicting on Lebanon Read More » “I hope that this investigation will help to break the impunity enjoyed by Israeli officials responsible for attacks against civilians in Lebanon and Palestine .” On 27 November 2024, hours before a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, Israeli forces conducted an air strike on a 12-storey residential building in Beirut’s Noueiri district.

Seven civilians, including Cherri’s parents, were killed in the attack, which destroyed three floors of the building. The French investigation is based on research done by Amnesty International and the investigation group Forensic Architecture into the circumstances surrounding the incident. In a report published in April, Amnesty said its researchers found no evidence of a military target in the vicinity of the residential building at the time of the strike.

The organisation said the attack took place at about 5.30pm, around 10 and a half hours before the ceasefire came into effect. Amnesty reported finding evidence of a US-manufactured GBU-39 precision-guided bomb at the site, stating there is a "reasonable basis" to suspect a breach of international humanitarian law. The group called for the strike to be investigated as a possible war crime. Limited scope The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), which oversees matters involving war crimes, asked for judicial investigations to be opened in September, an AFP source close to the case said.

Prosecutors had identified “serious and consistent” indications that the alleged offences had been committed, the report said. South Lebanon: 'It's torture, they are razing our lives before our eyes' Read More » The investigation was opened on the basis of allegations of deliberately directing an attack against civilian property, which could amount to a war crime under French law. Cherri's lawyer Clemence Bectarte said the inquiry was intended to establish what happened during the bombing and determine responsibility.

“To our knowledge, this is the very first judicial investigation opened into the crimes committed by the Israeli army in Lebanon since October 2023,” she said in a statement published by FIDH. Cherri holds French and Lebanese nationality; the French proceedings will focus on the bombing of his apartment, making the scope of the case limited. FIDH stated that French courts lacked jurisdiction over the events leading to the deaths of non-French nationals.

Cherri was therefore unable to bring a complaint for homicide over his parents’ deaths, his lawyer told AFP. The investigation instead concerns the alleged deliberate attack on civilian property. The PNAT has also opened preliminary investigations into allegations of torture and war crimes related to the interception by Israeli forces of humanitarian flotillas heading to Gaza in 2025 and 2026, AFP said. At the end of 2025, the prosecutor's office also asked a Paris investigating judge to open a war crimes investigation into the deaths of two French children in an Israeli bombing in Gaza in October 2023.

However, sources close to the case said that charges of genocide and crimes against humanity were ruled out by the prosecutors. Copyright © 2014 - 2026 . Middle East Eye. All rights reserved. Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters. Middle East Eye ISSN 2634-2456