On charges of committing war crimes.. Complaint in France against French-Israeli settlers

The "Solidarity with Palestine" association in France filed a complaint today, Monday, against French-Israelis accused of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity through their participation in and support for settlement activities in the territories occupied by Israel.

Their lawyer, Sarah Samour, stated that the complaint - filed with the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office specialized in crimes against humanity - identifies "6 individuals" who can be prosecuted.

The complaint specifically targets French-Israeli settlers and their organizations close to the Israeli far-right.

The association hopes that the complaint will open a legal front in France against Israeli settlement of Palestinian territories, which has been condemned by the United Nations.

The complaint is based on provisions of the French Penal Code that criminalize acts such as "deportation or forcible transfer of populations" and "persecution" and "apartheid" as "crimes against humanity" when committed "in execution of a premeditated plan against a group of civilians as part of a widespread or systematic attack."

The association believes that these settlers could be accused of complicity in a war crime for their participation in "Israel, as the occupying power, transferring part of its civilian population to the occupied Palestinian territory."

They also accuse them of crimes of "theft, extortion, and destruction of civilian property in the West Bank."

The lawyer stated that the use of these provisions is "the first of its kind," and she refused to disclose the names of the targets publicly before any potential legal action, "given the seriousness of the alleged crimes."

"Solidarity with Palestine in France," which advocates for the rights of the Palestinian people and supports the "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions" (BDS) movement, also filed a complaint last July against two French-Israeli soldiers accused of committing violations in Gaza.

Alongside East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied and annexed, about 3 million Palestinians have lived in the occupied West Bank since 1967, alongside approximately 500,000 Israelis residing in settlements that the United Nations considers illegal under international law.