France launches war crimes probe into Israel’s treatment of Gaza flotilla activists
French anti-terrorism prosecutors have initiated an inquiry into suspected war crimes after activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla reported severe mistreatment, including sexual humiliation and forced stress positions, during their detention in May.
French anti-terrorism prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into suspected torture and war crimes following allegations by French activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla that they were subjected to severe mistreatment by Israeli forces. The probe was initiated after a referral from the French foreign ministry, following the interception of the aid flotilla in international waters on May 18, which resulted in the detention of approximately 430 activists from around 40 countries.
The investigation centres on accounts provided by activists who allege they endured violent and humiliating ordeals while in custody. Specific allegations include soldiers groping and slapping detainees, forcing them into stress positions with knees bent and foreheads on the ground for hours while the Israeli national anthem played, and threats of rape. Suhad Bishara of Adalah, the Israeli legal centre for Palestinian rights, described the incident as potentially the most severe case of ill-treatment of flotilla participants in the past decade, noting that the documented accounts potentially amount to torture.
The Global Sumud Flotilla has documented at least 15 cases of sexual abuse, and lawyers for the French activists plan to file a separate complaint alleging rape, torture, and humiliation. Two of the more than 30 French activists on board remain hospitalised in Turkiye as of the report. Several returnees described terrifying experiences in dark containers, with one activist recounting being terrified of rape after being physically assaulted by a soldier.
The incident has significantly strained diplomatic relations between Paris and Jerusalem. Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attracted widespread condemnation after posting a video mocking the detained activists while they were bound. In response, France banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country and summoned the Israeli ambassador. The flotilla had been attempting to break the blockade on Gaza, which the United Nations and human rights organisations describe as illegal and a form of collective punishment.
Israeli authorities have dismissed the allegations, with the Israeli prison service stating that the accusations were entirely without factual basis. Meanwhile, UN expert Francesca Albanese commented that the treatment of the flotilla activists was a luxury compared to what is inflicted on Palestinians in Israeli prisons. The activists have refused to meet with the French government to discuss their experiences, accusing it of supporting Israel’s war on Gaza.
