French judges open war crimes probe into Israeli Beirut strike

Two French judges have opened a judicial investigation into a suspected war crime involving an Israeli air strike on a residential building in Beirut in November 2024 that killed seven civilians, including the parents of Franco-Lebanese artist Ali Cherri.

The probe was launched following a complaint made by Cherri and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in April. It marks the first time an Israeli army alleged crime in Lebanon has been investigated by the French judiciary since the start of its military operations in October 2023.

“For almost two years, I have been fighting to ensure that the Israeli bombing that killed my parents and five other civilians does not go unpunished.”

Seven civilians, including Cherri's father and mother, aged 87 and 77, were killed in the bombing of their 12-storey apartment building in central Beirut on November 26, 2024. The attack destroyed three floors of the building.

On November 27, 2024, hours before a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, Israeli forces conducted an air strike on a 12-storey residential building in Beirut's Noueiri district.

Cherri told AFP he had taken legal action for the dignity of all civilian victims. He said the opening of the investigation was a huge step forward for his family, even though he knows the road to justice will still be long and difficult.

The hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into open war in September 2024 and have left more than 4,000 dead in Lebanon and forced more than a million people to flee.

Other cases are pending, including one filed by French-Lebanese man Mohamad H. after losing his mother, sister, and two nephews in strikes on the southern city of Tyre during the night of April 16-17.