French citizen's role in Gaza war crimes raises concerns

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Mediapart
25 Mar 2024 16:04
7 Shares

French MP Thomas Portes has initiated legal proceedings concerning a Franco-Israeli individual suspected of potential involvement in acts of torture within the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian detainees released by Israeli occupation forces through the Karam Abu Salem crossing wait to receive treatment after they were subjected to torture by IOF on December 23, 2023. (AP)

MP Thomas Portes has initiated legal proceedings concerning a Franco-Israeli individual suspected of potential involvement in acts of torture within the Gaza Strip, Mediapart, reported an independent French investigative online newspaper.

This case underscores growing concerns that individuals holding dual nationality and serving in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) might be implicated in actions constituting war crimes.

The report referred to a widely circulated forty-five-second video depicting five soldiers in Israeli uniforms, with some wearing hoods, humiliating Palestinians. In the video, a French man serving in the Israeli military has released footage showing blindfolded and tied up Palestinians who were abducted by the IOF, while gloating over their torture.

In the video, he is heard cursing at the Palestinian prisoners, using derogatory language, and mocking their torture. He specifically mocked a prisoner who had urinated himself while tied up, laughing at him.

A #French man serving in the Israeli military has released footage showing blindfolded and tied up #Palestinians who were kidnapped by the IOF, while gloating over their torture.

In the video, he is heard cursing at the Palestinian prisoners, using derogatory language, and… pic.twitter.com/LOLKhufBb6
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 19, 2024

The French judiciary may soon investigate this matter, as MP Portes, from the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, has referred it to the public prosecutor in Paris and the National Public Prosecutor's Office for Counterterrorism (which includes a special unit dedicated to crimes against humanity), Mediapart added.

Portes further noted in his referral that he draws the attention of the judicial system to the possibility of "complicity in war crimes and acts of torture" confirmed by the published video clip, and calls on the judicial system to investigate, as per the report.

Earlier, the Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that the Israeli occupation still refuses to disclose any clear data regarding Palestinians abducted from the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israeli occupation forces killed 27 Palestinian detainees from Gaza in military detention camps since October 7.

The harrowing revelation adds to multiple confirmed reports published by Palestinian organizations that deal with the affairs of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, which have shed light on the maltreatment and brutalization of Palestinians.

Haaretz said that the 27 Palestinians were killed under torture while being questioned by Israeli occupation forces in the "Sde Teman" and "Anatot" concentration camps, which also serve as military facilities for occupation forces.

Earlier in January, Haaretz reported that 661 Palestinians are being held in the "Sde Teman" concentration camp, which is about 30 km to the east of the Gaza Strip. The actual number of Palestinians held in these facilities is expected to have significantly risen since the last report, as Israeli authorities maintain near-complete secrecy on the issue.

According to Haaretz, Unit 504 of the IOF took responsibility for interrogating "prisoners of war" held in "Sde Teman". The infamous unit specializes in human intelligence and launches covert operations in and out of Palestine. The Israeli occupation forces appropriated the military site in "Anatot" to hold Palestinian workers who held Israeli-issued permits on October 7.

The newspaper also said that at least one of the detainees in the two camps was killed after occupation forces refused to give him access to life-saving diabetes medication.