War between Israel and Gaza: two new complaints in France against Hamas

In France, two new complaints were filed with the anti-terrorism justice system, including one alleging crimes against humanity. They concern people killed in a Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, AFP reported from lawyers on Tuesday and that Le Parisien has received confirmation.

Lawyers Ilana Soskin and Yael Sczemama announced in a press release that they filed the complaint Monday afternoon in Paris on behalf of two French men whose three family members were “murdered” on October 7 by “Hamas terrorists” at Kibbutz Beeri. “Five” other members “are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip, including two very young children aged 3 and 8.”

The lawyers said the crimes against humanity complaint was “directed against Hamas and its leaders” and Kibbutz Be’eri was “the scene of the most horrendous atrocities” and even “pogroms.” This community in southern Israel, less than 5 km from the Gaza Strip, was home to 1,200 residents. About 90 people were killed, including children. About thirty people, most of whom were probably being held hostage in Palestinian territory, are missing.

Thousands of civilian casualties

Some children were “killed, burned alive, beheaded or dismembered in their homes” and a pregnant woman was “tortured,” lawyers said. “The terrorists cut open her abdomen to remove the fetus of the child she was carrying,” their press release said. According to Me Soskin, Hamas acted “in accordance with a pre-agreed plan over a long period of time”, justifying the classification of crimes against humanity.

Me Nathanael Meister announced that he had filed a complaint of “homicide in connection with terrorist activities” in connection with the death on October 7 of 22-year-old Valentin Elie Gnassia, a French soldier who served in the IDF, the Israeli army, and in the “integration organization.” travel” to obtain Israeli citizenship. He was allegedly the target of a “killing shot” by a Hamas member on the same Kibbutz Be’eri.

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) announced on October 12 the opening of a preliminary investigation, in particular into murders related to terrorist activities. At this stage, investigations into crimes related to crimes against humanity are not open.

Several thousand deaths

More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since October 7, most of them civilians killed that day by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, according to Israeli authorities. According to the latest data, 40 French were among the dead.

Following the attack, Israel responded by shelling the Gaza Strip, a besieged area where 2.4 million Palestinians have gathered, and the Israeli army also launched a ground operation there on October 27. Since the bombing began, more than 10,000 people have been killed, including 4,000 children, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas government’s Health Ministry.