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Several rights groups have filed a civil party complaint with the War Crimes Unit of the Paris Tribunal against a Franco-Israeli soldier who served in the army amidst ±õ²õ°ù²¹±ð±ô’s ongoing bombardment of the besieged enclave.

The rights groups accuse Yoel O. of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, torture and complicity in crimes committed against Palestinians held in Israeli custody.

The complaint was issued by the International Federation for Human Rights as well as Al Haq, Al Mezan, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Ligue des droits de l’Homme and is based on a video footage posted on social media platforms.

The rights groups state that in one video, Palestinian detainees are dressed in white overalls with their hands tied behind their back and are blindfolded. At least one of the detainees shows signs of torture, they said, while the detainees are being verbally abused in French.

The complaint states that Yoel O. is the author of the video, which was shared with the French judicial authorities along with testimonies from Palestinian victims who describe facing severe torture while held in Israeli custody.

This is not the first time a complaint has been lodged against Yoel O. An initial complaint was made against him in April this year, however it was dismissed due to the public prosecutor’s office stating there was insufficient evidence of the offence.

Issam Younis, the director of Al Mezan said "these accounts strongly correspond to the methods shown in the video, illustrating the systematic nature of these actions and reflecting a state-sanctioned policy. This evidence underscores the urgent need to address these crimes and pursue legal action at every level, including within national jurisdictions".

The general director of Al Haq, Shawan Jabarin, highlighted that Palestinians in Gaza have been forcibly disappeared, transferred to torture detention camps and are subjected to dire conditions.

"These heinous acts are categorically prohibited under international law. It is a matter of urgency that France investigates, prosecutes and punishes its nationals who are implicated in atrocity crimes, including genocide in Gaza" Jabarin said.

According to the rights groups, no judicial investigation has been opened in France to date, regarding Israeli crimes in Gaza despite mounting evidence shared on social media networks.

The rights groups state that there are around 4,000 French citizens serving in the Israeli army, with strong evidence showing they are involved in international crimes committed in Gaza.

Since the start of the war on the enclave on 7 October 2023, the Israeli army has bombed schools, hospitals, aid convoys, places of worship, civilian infrastructure and historical sites.

The bombardment has levelled entire neighbourhoods sand decimated the healthcare infrastructure, killing at least 45,059 and wounding over 107,041 since 7 October 2023.

Ìý"A state who claims democracy and respect for international law must immediately investigate its nationals who are responsible for the commission of international crimes, like torture, and hold them accountable", Raji Sourani, the general director of the PCHR said in a statement.

Leading human rights figures from the organisations reiterated that French authorities have a moral and legal obligation to hold those involved in war crimes accountable, and not allow France to become a save haven for them.

Rights groups believe that Israel has amended the Unlawful Combatants Law to allow authorities to detain individuals without charges for 30 days and then deny them from accessing a lawyer for at least 45 additional days.

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