Lawyers’ group sues French government for failing to prevent Gaza genocide

A French association of lawyers has filed a lawsuit in Paris accusing the government of failing in its duty to prevent genocide in Gaza, pointing to continued arms deliveries to Israel despite the mounting civilian death toll.

The case was filed before the Paris administrative court by the Association of French Jurists for the Respect of International Law (Jurdi), a non-profit group.

In its filing, seen by AFP, the group argues that France is legally bound by the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which obliges signatories to act when there is a serious risk of genocide.

Jurdi asked the court to condemn the state "for the absence of implementation of its obligation to prevent the crime of genocide" allegedly being committed by Israel in Gaza.

It is demanding that the court order France to take "concrete decisions and initiatives" towards Israel to prevent genocide, under penalty of a €10,000 daily fine, and to award symbolic damages of one euro.

The association singled out French arms exports to Israel, which authorities in Paris have described as "defensive".

Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, France has continued delivering military equipment worth millions of dollars to Israel.

These shipments have included bombs, grenades, torpedoes, missiles, and munitions worth over $8 million, plus parts for rocket launchers, grenades, flamethrowers, and military rifles worth more than $2 million.

Some parts are specifically for machine guns and rapid-fire ammunition links, which have raised concerns about their use in conflict zones.

"Despite the serious and proven risk of genocide in the Gaza Strip, the French state has failed to implement the preventive measures that were within its reach," Jurdi said in its filing, adding that its previous letters to French officials had gone unanswered.

France has sharply criticised the scale of Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza but has never described it as genocide.

There has also been increasing tension between Paris and Tel Aviv over French plans to recognise a Palestinian state this September.

The French foreign ministry did not immediately respond when AFP asked for comment on Tuesday.

South Africa launched proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, later joined by several other states. In January 2024, the ICJ ordered Israel to prevent any acts of genocide and to allow humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.

The war, now approaching its second year, has left more than 63,600 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The true death toll is believed to be much higher, with the bodies of thousands of uncounted victims trapped under rubble.

Israel’s campaign of bombardment and siege has devastated the territory, destroying most of its infrastructure and displacing the vast majority of its population. Humanitarian agencies warn that the entire population is at risk of famine due to Israel's policy of deliberate starvation.