Latest news with #AbderrahimAbudaher
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Grandmother files war crimes case in Paris over Gaza killings
PARIS: The grandmother of two children with French nationality killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza has filed a legal complaint in Paris, accusing Israel of 'genocide' and 'murder,' her lawyer said on Friday. Jacqueline Rivault filed her complaint with the 'crimes against humanity' section of the Court of Paris, lawyer Arie Alimi said. Rivault hopes the fact that her daughter's children, aged six and nine, were French citizens means the country's judiciary will decide it has jurisdiction to designate a magistrate to investigate the allegations. Rights groups, lawyers, and some Israeli historians have described the Gaza war as 'genocide.' Jacqueline Rivault filed her complaint with the 'crimes against humanity' section of the Court of Paris, lawyer Arie Alimi said. The complaint states that 'two F16 missiles fired by the Israeli army' killed Janna, six, and Abderrahim Abudaher, nine, in northern Gaza on October 24, 2023. They and their family had sought refuge in another home 'between Faluja and Beit Lahia' after leaving their own two days earlier due to heavy bombardment, the 48-page document stated. One missile entered 'through the roof and the second directly into the room where the family was,' it said. Abderrahim was killed instantly, while his sister Janna died shortly after being taken to the hospital. The complaint argues the 'genocide' allegation is based on the air strike being part of a larger Israeli project to 'eliminate the Palestinian population and submit it to living conditions of a nature to entail the destruction of their group.' Though formally against unnamed parties, the complaint explicitly targets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government, and the military. The children's brother Omar was severely wounded but still lives in Gaza with their mother, identified as Yasmine Z., the complaint said. A French court in 2019 convicted Yasmine Z. in absentia of having funded a 'terrorist' group by distributing money in Gaza to members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed 54,677 people, mostly civilians, according to the Health Ministry there, figures the UB deems reliable. No court has so far ruled that the ongoing conflict is a genocide. But in rulings in January, March, and May 2024, the International Court of Justice, the UN's highest judicial organ, told Israel to do everything possible to 'prevent' acts of genocide during its military operations in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
French woman files complaint against Israel over killing of grandchildren in Gaza
A grandmother has filed a complaint for murder and genocide against Israeli authorities, accusing them of responsibility for killing her two Palestinian-French grandchildren in Gaza. Israeli forces killed six-year-old Abderrahim Abudaher and nine-year-old Janna Abudaher in northern Gaza on 24 October 2023. Their maternal grandmother, Jacqueline Rivault - a French national living in France - filed the complaint on Friday in Paris alongside the Ligue des Droits de l'Homme (LDH). The filing, submitted to the crimes against humanity unit of the Paris judicial court, accuses Israeli authorities of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. This is the first complaint brought before the French courts based on the passive personality principle - that is, based on the victims' French nationality - to address the issue of responsibility for these crimes, the LDH said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters This civil action complaint seeks the appointment of an investigating judge. The victims' French nationality could trigger the direct jurisdiction of the French courts and lead them to rule on these accusations of "genocide". "This complaint aims to contribute to preventing and prosecuting those responsible, whether soldiers or politicians, for the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which indiscriminately affects the entire civilian population of the enclave," the LDH said. According to the 43-page complaint, which has been shared with Middle East Eye, the "extreme violence" and "regular bombardments" by the Israeli army on Gaza after 7 October led the family to take refuge in a house in the northern Gaza Strip, between Fallujah and Beit Lahia. There, the house was targeted by "two F16 missiles fired by the Israeli army," one of which hit "through the roof and the second directly into the bedroom where the family was staying". First Gaza genocide cases against French nationals filed in Paris Read More » Abderrahim died "instantly" and Janna shortly after being transferred to the hospital, according to the complaint. Their younger brother, Omar, was seriously wounded but still lives in Gaza, as does his mother, Yasmine Z. The complaint accuses the Israeli authorities of genocide because the bombing is presented as part of a plan to "eliminate the Palestinian population and subject them to conditions of existence likely to bring about the destruction of their group". Though it is filed against unknown persons, it specifically names Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of the Israeli government and the Israeli army. The complaint notes that the intention to eradicate the Palestinian people was evident from the statements made by political and military leaders, in particular Netanyahu. The aim of the complaint, explained Rivault's lawyer Arie Alimi, is to ensure the arrest of those responsible. "Those who were involved, in one way or another, in acts that could be classified as crimes against humanity or genocide, must know that upon leaving Israel's borders, they can be arrested anywhere," he said. Rivault's only daughter, Yasmine, had gone to Gaza to do humanitarian work. It was there that she met her husband. Her mother said the French government "should have evacuated the French nationals living in the Gaza Strip". The 'weapon' of criminal law The LDH said The complaint is intended to have a political impact and is one of many efforts aimed at bringing "these crimes" to an end as soon as possible. Its president, Nathalie Tehio, qualified criminal law as 'a weapon that allows us to try to stop this infernal mechanism of genocide that we are witnessing." The LDH is part of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), which was among the first groups to to declare that Israel was committing genocide, followed by Amnesty International a year later and Human Rights Watch. In January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) called on Israel to prevent any act of genocide. The Hind Rajab Foundation: Pursuing Israeli soldiers worldwide for Gaza war crimes Read More » Since then, a number of legal actions have been taken in connection with "genocide" accusations against Israel, for example in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany. In France, three complaints have been filed in recent months against French-Israeli nationals accused of genocide or complicity. Last December, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), along with three Palestinian organisations, filed a complaint against French-Israeli soldier Yoel O. He is accused of posting a video on social media showing detained Palestinians in white jumpsuits, blindfolded and handcuffed - one of whom appears to show visible signs of torture. The man behind the camera can be heard insulting the detainees in French. No judicial investigation has been opened in France to date. On Friday, the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office opened a judicial investigation into French-Israelis suspected of involvement in blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza between January and May 2024. The probe includes charges of complicity in genocide, incitement to genocide, and complicity in crimes against humanity, AFP reported, citing a source close to the case. The investigation follows a complaint filed in November 2024 by the French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP) and a French-Palestinian victim. The complaint accuses individuals of organising and participating in actions to block humanitarian aid to Gaza - specifically by physically obstructing aid trucks at Israeli-controlled border crossings. The civil action names figures reportedly with French nationality from two pro-Israel groups, Israel is Forever and Tzav-9.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
France grandmother files war crimes case over Gaza deaths of 2 French grandchildren
A grandmother has filed a criminal case in Paris, accusing Israeli authorities of killing her two French grandchildren in Gaza in October 2023, her lawyer told AFP on Friday. The case, lodged with the Paris tribunal's war crimes and crimes against humanity unit by lawyer Arie Alimi, calls for the appointment of a judge to open a formal probe. The Human Rights League, a French civil liberties group, intends to join the case. The victims' French nationality could give French courts jurisdiction over the genocide accusations – claims Israel has dismissed as 'scandalous'. So far, such legal attempts in France have not succeeded. The case involves the deaths of siblings Janna and Abderrahim Abudaher, aged six and nine, in a northern Gaza home struck by two Israeli F-16 missiles on October 24, 2023, 17 days after Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
French grandmother files legal complaint over Gaza ‘genocide'
The grandmother of two children with French nationality killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza has filed a legal complaint, accusing Israel of 'genocide' and 'murder', her lawyer said Friday. Jacqueline Rivault filed her complaint with the 'crimes against humanity' hub of the Court of Paris, lawyer Arie Alimi said. Rivault hopes the fact her daughter's children, aged six and nine, were French means the country's judiciary will decide it has jurisdiction to designate a magistrate to investigate the allegations. Rights groups, lawyers and some Israeli historians have described the Gaza war as 'genocide' and called for a ceasefire. But Israel, created in the aftermath of the Nazi Holocaust of Jews during World War II, vehemently rejects the explosive term. The complaint states that 'two F16 missiles fired by the Israeli army' killed Janna, six, and Abderrahim Abudaher, nine, in northern Gaza on October 24, 2023. They and their family had sought refuge in another home 'between Faluja and Beit Lahia' after leaving their own two days earlier due to heavy bombardment, the 48-page document stated. One missile entered 'through the roof and the second directly into the room where the family was', it said. Abderrahim was killed instantly, while his sister Janna died shortly after being taken to hospital. The complaint argues the 'genocide' allegation is based on the air strike being part of a larger Israeli project to 'eliminate the Palestinian population and submit it to living conditions of a nature to entail the destruction of their group.' The children's brother Omar was severely wounded but still lives in Gaza with their mother, identified as Yasmine Z., the complaint added. A French court in 2019 convicted Yasmine Z. in absentia of having funded a 'terrorist' group over distributing money in Gaza to members of Palestinian militant groups Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants abducted 251 hostages, 55 of whom remain in Gaza, including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed 54,677 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry there, figures the United Nations deems reliable. No court has so far ruled the ongoing conflict is a genocide. But in rulings in January, March and May 2024, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest judicial organ, told Israel to do everything possible to 'prevent' acts of genocide during its military operations in Gaza.
