PARIS – In a sharp escalation of diplomatic tension between Paris and Jerusalem over the treatment of Gaza-bound activists, the French government announced Friday it has formally referred the case of alleged violent abuse of French nationals to national prosecutors, clearing the way for potential criminal proceedings against Israeli actors connected to the incident.
The move comes two weeks after France enacted an indefinite entry ban on Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, labeling his public taunting of detained flotilla activists as “unspeakable” and unacceptable. The confrontation traces back to this month’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a 50-vessel humanitarian convoy attempting to break Israel’s long-standing naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters roughly 250 miles off Israel’s coast, detained hundreds of activists, and later deported most of the group to Turkey.
Multiple activists from the convoy have leveled serious allegations against Israeli forces and officials, claiming they endured beatings, taser attacks, intimidation by attack dogs, and degrading treatment while in Israeli custody. Israel has repeatedly denied all claims of mistreatment. The situation sparked global public outrage after Ben-Gvir published a video of himself verbally harassing the detained activists, a step that drew immediate condemnation from the French government.
In an interview with public radio outlet France Inter on Friday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot confirmed the formal referral to prosecutors, saying the decision followed a detailed report from French diplomatic staff based in Turkey. The report documented what Barrot described as severe abuses against French citizens: sexual violence, prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures, physical assault, and ongoing public humiliation. “All acts that could constitute criminal offenses,” Barrot noted.
“I decided yesterday to refer the matter to the public prosecutor,” he said. “This case is now in the hands of the justice system.” Under French criminal procedure, prosecutors will first review the evidence presented to determine whether there is sufficient grounds to pursue formal criminal charges and move forward with an investigation.
In a May 23 statement announcing the entry ban on Ben-Gvir, Barrot had already made clear France’s firm stance on the incident. “We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalized in this way — all the more so by a public official,” he said at the time. The latest decision to launch a criminal probe marks a further intensification of France’s criticism of Israel’s actions surrounding the flotilla interception.