Lebanese Artist Files War Crimes Complaint in France Over 2024 Israeli Strike That Killed Parents

Ali Cherri, a Lebanese filmmaker and artist based in Paris, has submitted a formal war crimes complaint to France's War Crimes Unit regarding an Israeli military strike that resulted in the deaths of his parents in Beirut. The incident occurred on November 26, 2024, just before a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was scheduled to begin. The attack targeted a 12-story residential building where Cherri's parents, Mahmoud Naim Cherri and Nadira Hayek, resided, also claiming the life of their employee Birki Negesa and at least four other individuals. Cherri, represented by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), filed the complaint on April 2, alleging the war crime of intentionally attacking a civilian object, which under French law could lead to a 15-year prison sentence. France's jurisdiction stems from Cherri's dual French-Lebanese citizenship and his ownership of the apartment building, though the court cannot directly prosecute the killings. In his statement, Cherri emphasized the need to establish truth, name the crime, and hold perpetrators accountable to break cycles of impunity. Supporting investigations by Forensic Architecture identified two GBU-39 munitions, precision weapons manufactured in the U.S. and commonly used by Israel, as responsible for the strike. Amnesty International's February report found no evidence of a legitimate military target nearby and noted the absence of evacuation orders. While Cherri's uncle served as a Hezbollah parliamentarian, he did not live in the building, and Cherri's father and injured brother had no known ties to the group. Cherri chose legal action in France over Lebanon due to the latter's refusal to join the International Criminal Court. FIDH spokesperson Maxime Illuzzi Duriez expressed hope that the complaint would initiate a judicial investigation to identify military and political perpetrators, potentially leading to arrest warrants, acknowledging the lengthy and complex nature of such procedures. France's War Crimes Unit, established in 2012, has previously handled cases involving crimes against French citizens by figures like Bashar al-Assad and atrocities from conflicts in Liberia and Rwanda. Cherri, whose work in film, sculpture, and two-dimensional art explores the bodily impacts of political violence, is represented in collections at institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Centre Pompidou. He stated that the complaint aims to uncover facts for all victims and prevent similar losses for other families.