French artist seeks war crimes probe on IDF strike

French-Lebanese artist Ali Cherri filed a complaint in France on April 3, 2026, requesting a war crimes investigation into an Israeli strike on an apartment building in Beirut in November 2024. The strike reportedly killed seven civilians, including Cherri’s parents.

The complaint was submitted to France’s war crimes unit in Paris and names unknown perpetrators in connection with the strike, which occurred in Beirut’s Noueiri neighborhood just hours before a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect.

Human rights organizations involved, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), stated that the bombing destroyed Cherri’s ninth-floor apartment and affected additional units on lower floors. The deceased included Cherri’s parents and a domestic worker, among others.

The filing argues that the attack on a civilian building could constitute a war crime under both French law and international humanitarian law. The complaint references investigations and analyses by groups including Forensic Architecture and Amnesty International to support its claims.

Israeli authorities have not provided a formal comment on the complaint, but have previously stated that their military operations follow international law.