France Launches Gaza Flotilla War Crimes Probe after Activist Torture Claims
France has opened a formal war crimes and torture investigation into the treatment of French activists detained by Israeli authorities after participating in a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last month.
The national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) confirmed the inquiry, launched at the request of the French government following accounts of mistreatment during detention. So far, eight of the more than 30 French nationals held aboard the flotilla have returned home, while two others remain hospitalised in Turkey.
Several returnees have since described a violent and humiliating ordeal. One French activist told AFP that an Israeli soldier groped and slapped her inside a dark container, adding that she feared she would be raped. Another said detainees held a “stress position”, on their knees, foreheads pressed to the ground for hours, while Israeli national anthem played on repeat. The Israeli prison service rejected all claims of physical and psychological violence, sexual harassment, and assault as “entirely without factual basis.”
Internal Israeli Fallout
The episode also triggered a rare internal dispute within the Israeli government. A video posted by national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed more than 430 kneeling, restrained detainees, footage that drew condemnation internationally. France subsequently banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the minister’s conduct, stating that while Israel maintains the right to intercept flotillas carrying what he described as Hamas supporters, Ben-Gvir’s handling of the activists “is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar went further, telling Ben-Gvir directly, “You knowingly caused harm to our state in this disgraceful display, and not for the first time.”
Broader Regional Fallout
The controversy extends beyond France. In Spain, four pro-Palestinian activists allegedly faced beatings and rough treatment by police at Bilbao airport following their deportation from Israel. In response, the Israeli government reposted footage of that incident and demanded an explanation from Madrid, whose foreign minister had earlier called the treatment of flotilla activists “monstrous, disgraceful and inhumane.”
