In France, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) announced in Paris on Friday that it has opened a preliminary investigation against Israel. The probe follows allegations by Gaza aid flotilla activists of "torture and war crimes" against them.
The investigation was initiated following a formal referral submitted to the prosecutor's office by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The move was prompted by a video published by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showing the activists being brought to Ashdod Port.
According to a report by the AFP cited in French media, the preliminary investigation will be conducted by the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH).
The video released by Ben-Gvir depicts the flotilla activists on their knees, hands bound and heads bowed, while he films them and declares, "Welcome to Israel, we are the masters of this house."
The footage sparked a massive international backlash. French officials noted that this display largely drove Foreign Minister Barrot’s decision to immediately ban Ben-Gvir from entering France and to forward a detailed consular report to the prosecution.
The report included allegations of physical abuse, humiliation, and sexual violence against the 37 French nationals among the roughly 430 activists aboard the flotilla.
Activists allege they were subject to beatings, humiliation, sexual abuse
In France, officials have described the video as "visual proof of Israeli conduct," and media reports consistently highlight it as the primary catalyst for the widespread outcry and ensuing legal proceedings.
The activists belonged to the "Global Sumud Flotilla," which departed from Turkey in May with roughly 50 vessels. The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli naval ships in international waters, and the participants were transferred to the Ketziot prison before being swiftly deported.
One Israeli citizen on board was released by a court with the assistance of the Adalah Legal Center, which represents the activists in Israeli legal proceedings, and has since returned to Germany, where she resides.
The activists allege they were subjected to beatings, humiliation, exposure to the cold, and sexual abuse. This week, Adalah submitted a formal demand to the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to investigate claims made by a German activist from a previous October 2025 flotilla, Anna Liedke.
Liedke alleges she was assaulted by female guards at Givon Prison while male guards looked on and laughed during an invasive strip-search.
"During her transfer from the port to the Ketziot prison, our client, along with other participants, experienced physical and verbal violence from security forces and prison guards. This included prolonged shackling, the use of plastic zip-ties, blindfolding, shouting, threats, including threats of rape, and physical assaults," Adalah’s petition stated.
Furthermore, Liedke claims that upon her arrival at Givon Prison, she experienced severe violence, followed by sexual assault. In her testimony to Adalah, she claimed she was taken for what was ostensibly a medical check, after which she and other female detainees were brought, one by one, into a small space separated from the rest of the hallway only by a curtain.
"Three female guards holding metal detectors were inside the space. Although the curtain was closed, masked and armed male guards could still be seen standing behind it and watching what was happening," she said. According to her account, the female guards ordered her to strip and subjected her to an invasive search.
Israeli officials maintain that these claims are entirely false, intended to defame the State of Israel as part of the propaganda and provocation underpinning the entire flotilla initiative.
Both the Israel Prison Service and the IDF have firmly rejected the allegations as groundless fabrications, reiterating that the activists were handled strictly according to standard procedures and the law.
However, the video, from which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office distanced itself, and which drew immediate condemnation from Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, is now being heavily utilized by the activists in their legal campaign against Israel.
While the investigation remains in its initial, preliminary stage, its official launch represents another significant media and diplomatic blow for Israel in France.