'Israel' accused of killing French children in Gaza airstrike
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A Paris tribunal is reviewing a 48-page complaint supported by France’s Human Rights League, detailing how two young French citizens were killed in Gaza and calling for accountability under international law.
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A screenshot from an interview with Julie Rivault, who lost two of her grandchildren, Janna (6) and Obeyda (9), in an Israeli bombing on October 22. (BLAST)
French grandmother Jacqueline Rivault has submitted a formal complaint to the Paris tribunal’s war crimes unit, accusing "Israel" of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity after her two grandchildren were killed in an airstrike on Gaza in October 2023.
The case, filed with support from France’s Human Rights League, requests the appointment of an investigative judge. The 48-page complaint accuses "Israel" of murder, genocide, and crimes against humanity, citing the killing of six-year-old Janna and nine-year-old Abderrahim Abudaher, both French citizens.
According to the complaint, two Israeli F-16 missiles struck the family’s home in northern Gaza on October 24, 2023. The first missile breached the roof, and the second directly hit the room where the children were sheltering with their family after fleeing earlier bombardments.
Abderrahim was killed on impact, while Janna later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital. Their brother Omar was also severely wounded and remains in Gaza with their mother, Yasmine Z.
Genocide charge highlights pattern of civilian targeting
The complaint argues that the strike was not an isolated incident, but rather part of a wider effort “to eliminate the Palestinian population and subject them to living conditions likely to lead to the destruction of their group.”
Although officially filed against unnamed individuals, it explicitly names Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his cabinet, and military officials as responsible for the attack and its broader context.
The case represents a significant development in international legal efforts to hold "Israel" accountable for war crimes in Gaza. It also underscores growing public and legal support in France for scrutiny over Israeli military actions against Palestinians.
If accepted, the case will move to formal investigation, potentially marking a precedent in European courts for similar complaints concerning Gaza airstrike victims and violations of international law.
This development comes shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement last Friday that led "Israel" to accuse him of launching a “crusade against the Jewish state.” Macron warned that France may adopt a tougher stance toward "Israel" if it continues to obstruct humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
“The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground,” Macron stated at a joint press conference with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“And so, if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position,” Macron noted, emphasizing that France might consider imposing sanctions against Israeli settlers.
Macron said that European nations should “harden the collective position” against "Israel" if it did not properly address the ever-worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including the possibility of imposing sanctions.
“If we abandon Gaza, if we consider there is a free pass for Israel, even if we do condemn the terrorist attacks, we will kill our credibility,” Macron told the high-level defense forum in Singapore.
