A high-stakes legal action has rocked France’s logistics and political spheres this week, as a prominent pro-Palestine advocacy organization has brought an unprecedented accusation of “complicity in genocide” against global shipping giant FedEx over its alleged role in moving military aircraft components bound for Israeli forces operating in the Gaza Strip.
The French Jewish Union for Peace (UJFP) filed the complaint Tuesday with France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), leveling allegations that the U.S.-headquartered carrier’s French subsidiary deliberately facilitated the transfer, routing, and delivery of critical aircraft parts from the United States to Israel, with France serving as a transit hub. According to the legal filing, the shipped components are used to service and repair F-35 fighter jets operated by the Israeli Air Force for bombing and intelligence surveillance missions across Gaza. The complaint categorizes the company’s actions as potential participation in three violations of international law: war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
In an immediate response to reporters from AFP, FedEx France flatly rejected all claims laid out in the filing. The company issued a clear statement emphasizing that it never handles international deliveries of weapons or ammunition, denying any wrongdoing in the matter.
The UJFP’s complaint draws on shipment tracking data compiled by a coalition of pro-Palestine groups, including People’s Embargo for Palestine and Urgence Palestine. The filing documents 117 separate shipments that transited Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport between early April and late October 2025, all managed by FedEx Express FR. Of those, 22 were shipped directly from Paris to Israel, with at least three carried on French-registered FedEx aircraft. The plaintiffs argue that FedEx could not have been unaware of the contents of these packages, noting that many contain mechanical and aeronautical parts classified as dual-use—items that can serve both civilian and military purposes—specifically suited for military aircraft.
Speaking to independent French outlet Mediapart, UJFP’s legal counsel Damia Taharraoui dismissed any claims of civilian utility for the tracked shipments. “There’s no scenario where these parts are for civilian use. We have casings, parachutes, all destined for Israeli military bases. These are components explicitly identified as functional for F-35 jets, and also potentially for F-15 and F-16 models,” Taharraoui explained.
Under French national trade rules, any transit or export of military-grade or dual-use goods requires formal government authorization. The complaint calls on prosecutors to launch a full judicial inquiry to determine whether French officials granted FedEx approval for these shipments. Taharraoui stressed that if official authorizations are confirmed, they would directly violate international treaties France has ratified, most notably the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The legal filing comes amid a years-long period of tense diplomatic and political friction between France and pro-Palestine movements, tied to Paris’ longstanding stance on the Gaza conflict. Since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, France has maintained broad public support for the operation, which the United Nations and multiple leading human rights organizations have classified as a genocide. As of the latest counts, the conflict has killed more than 72,500 people in Gaza and left most of the densely populated enclave in ruins.
The French government has consistently pushed back against accusations that it supplies lethal arms to Israel, stating that it only exports non-lethal components for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, along with items marked for re-export. Still, tensions rose between Paris and Tel Aviv last month when Israel announced it would suspend security-related imports from France, accusing the French government of adopting a “hostile” posture—an action widely linked to France’s September 2024 decision to formally recognize the State of Palestine.
Despite this diplomatic rift, the French government has continued to crack down on domestic pro-Palestine advocacy, restricting the movement of Palestinian human rights activists within the country. Just last week, French authorities denied a visa to Shawan Jabarin, general director of Ramallah-based leading Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, blocking him from attending a series of high-profile diplomatic and legislative briefings at the French National Assembly, French Foreign Ministry, and the Council of Europe.
This marked the second time French and European authorities have rejected Jabarin’s visa application since September 2024, when the United States imposed sanctions on Al-Haq. Jabarin, who was awarded the French Republic’s human rights prize in 2018 and met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in 2022, was also scheduled to attend meetings at the European Parliament’s human rights committee in Strasbourg and policy briefings in Belgium. The last-minute visa refusal meant he was forced to cancel all planned engagements across the region.