Artist Pursues War Crimes Case in Paris Over Israeli Strike That Killed Parents
A Lebanese-French artist has initiated a groundbreaking legal action in a Paris court, filing a formal complaint about an Israeli bombing of his family home in Lebanon that resulted in the deaths of his parents and a domestic worker. Ali Cherri contends that the attack may constitute a war crime against civilians, marking a rare instance where an individual is pursuing war crimes charges specifically for an Israeli bombing incident.
Details of the Tragic Attack and Legal Proceedings
The legal suit was submitted to the French war crimes unit on Tuesday, representing the first time a French court has accepted a case concerning Israel's bombing activities in Lebanon. Cherri's family residence, constructed by his grandparents many years ago in central Beirut, was targeted by Israeli forces just hours before a ceasefire was established between Hezbollah and Israel on November 26, 2024. Throughout the thirteen-month conflict, Israeli strikes claimed approximately 4,000 lives in Lebanon.
There was no prior evacuation warning issued before the strike, which severely damaged three floors of the apartment building. The victims included Cherri's parents, Mahmoud Naib Cherri (86) and Nadira Hayek (76), along with their employee Birki Negesa and four additional civilians. "We thought that they were out of danger," Cherri expressed. "We never imagined living in a place where such an event could occur."
Investigative Findings and International Response
In February, Amnesty International conducted a thorough investigation into the strike, concluding that there was no evidence of a military target present during the attack and recommending that the incident be investigated as a potential war crime. Forensic Architecture, a United Kingdom-based investigative rights organization that assisted in preparing the legal complaint, developed a detailed 3D model of the affected building and identified the munition used as a GBU-39.
This 250-pound (115-kilogram) guided bomb is manufactured in the United States and frequently employed by Israel in attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. The group's analysis of the strike and the utilization of a guided munition emphasized the targeted nature of the assault and demonstrated the Israeli army's direct responsibility for the incident.
Broader Context and Renewed Hostilities
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, described the civil complaint in France as a "rare opportunity" to hold Israel accountable. "Amidst a longstanding pattern of serious violations of international humanitarian law by Israeli forces in Lebanon, and as Israel once again escalates its attacks, if war crimes unit prosecutors open an investigation into this complaint, this would offer a rare opportunity to examine Israel's actions in a European court given the general impunity it usually enjoys," Morayef stated.
For Cherri, the case holds particular significance due to renewed fighting between Israel and Lebanon, where he observes similar incidents to the bombing of his parents' home being repeated. On March 2, Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, prompting an Israeli aerial campaign and ground invasion of Lebanon that has resulted in 1,318 fatalities thus far.
Personal Motivation and Legal Significance
Tragically, Mohammed Shehab, a photographer who collaborated with Forensic Architecture to document and model the Cherri family's apartment building, was killed in an Israeli strike on his home on March 11. The attack also claimed the life of his three-month-old daughter and critically injured his wife, under what Forensic Architecture described as "circumstances similar" to the strike on the Cherri residence.
Cherri acknowledged that he remains pessimistic about the prospect of anyone in Israel being held criminally liable for the strike on his family's building. Nevertheless, he believes that filing the case is crucially important. "Either you accept that you're a victim and accept your fate, like unfortunately a lot of Lebanese have to do. Or you take it as a responsibility for all the other people who can't go through this legal process," he affirmed.
