ISTANBUL

The grandmother of two French children killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza filed a legal complaint in France on Friday, accusing Israeli authorities of genocide, crimes against humanity, and murder.

Jacqueline Rivault, a resident of Vitry-sur-Seine near Paris, submitted the 48-page complaint on Friday through her lawyer, Arie Alimi, to the French judicial unit handling crimes against humanity, French daily Liberation reported.

The complaint seeks the appointment of an investigative judge. The French Human Rights League (LDH) has announced its intention to join the case.

The case centers on the deaths of Janna and Abderrahim Abudaher, aged 6 and 9, who were killed on October 24, 2023, when a house in northern Gaza was hit by two missiles reportedly launched from an Israeli F-16 fighter jet. Their brother Omar and mother, Yasmine Z., were also injured in the airstrike.

According to the complaint, the family had fled their apartment days earlier due to continued bombardment and relocated to different shelters before being targeted in a home between Fallujah and Beit Lahia. Abderrahim was killed instantly, while Janna died shortly after being taken to the hospital.

The complaint argues that the attack was part of a broader Israeli campaign aimed at "eliminating the Palestinian population" and accuses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his government, and the Israeli military of orchestrating the strikes.

Though filed against unknown persons, the complaint specifically names Netanyahu and the Israeli army.

France may assert jurisdiction due to the French nationality of the victims. While similar legal initiatives in France have not succeeded in the past, this case may compel French courts to rule on the genocide allegations, which Israel has strongly rejected.

The children’s mother, Yasmine Z., is subject to an arrest warrant issued by France in 2019 after being convicted in absentia for financing terrorism. She was found to have sent money to members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas between 2012 and 2013.

The legal action comes amid mounting international pressure on Israel over its ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023.

Since then, nearly 54,700 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, whose figures are deemed credible by the UN.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Federation for Human Rights, have accused Israel of committing acts of genocide in Gaza.

In January 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide, while the UN’s humanitarian chief urged world leaders in May to act swiftly to stop mass atrocities.