Paris court opens probe into 2024 Beirut airstrike

French judicial authorities have initiated a formal investigation into a complaint alleging war crimes related to an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Beirut in 2024. Clemence Bectarte, the lawyer representing the complainants, announced the development on Tuesday, marking a significant step in the legal proceedings.

The complaint was filed last spring by Ali Cherri, a French-Lebanese artist, alongside the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). Cherri joined the case as a civil party after his parents were killed in the strike. Bectarte noted that the crimes against humanity unit of the Paris Judicial Court has appointed two investigating judges, a move she described as a first for this type of case.

Cherri expressed his determination to seek accountability for the attack, which occurred in November 2024. He stated that he had been fighting for nearly two years to ensure the bombing, which also killed five other civilians, would not go unpunished. He expressed hope that the investigation would help break the cycle of impunity for Israeli officials responsible for attacks on civilians in both Lebanon and Palestine.

The incident took place on the evening of November 26, 2024, just hours before a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon was scheduled to take effect. According to the FIDH, the airstrike hit at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the Barbour district of central Beirut. The attack destroyed a ninth-floor apartment owned by Cherri, along with apartments on the seventh and eighth floors.

Among those identified as deceased were Cherri’s parents, Mahmoud Naim Cherri and Nadira Hayek, as well as a domestic worker named Birki Negesa. The legal filing argued that the bombing of a civilian structure could constitute a war crime under both French criminal law and international humanitarian law. The FIDH stated that its analysis drew on reports from human rights groups Amnesty International and Forensic Architecture.

Amnesty International supported the case, noting that its own investigation found no evidence of a military objective in or near the building at the time of the strike. The organization also highlighted that civilians received no effective advance warning and argued the attack should be examined as a war crime. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has previously stated that it follows international legal norms and targets only legitimate military assets, while noting that the militant group Hezbollah operates within civilian areas.

The strike occurred during the broader 2023-2024 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This conflict began after the Iran-backed group attacked Israel in support of Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel. The low-level hostilities escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024, featuring an Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

A US-brokered ceasefire between the two sides took effect in November 2024. According to tallies that do not distinguish between civilians and fighters, approximately 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during that period. In Israel, 47 civilians and around 80 soldiers were killed. A new round of fighting erupted on March 2, 2026, days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, leading to a renewed aerial campaign and ground invasion by Israel.

As of now, more than 1,200 people have been killed and over one million displaced in Lebanon during the current phase of the conflict, according to Beirut. Hezbollah remains heavily entrenched in civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The group opposes a framework deal signed in June between Israel and Lebanon, which aims to lead to Hezbollah’s disarmament and the eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces.