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France’s War Crimes Unit has opened an investigation into a November 2024 Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Beirut where artist Ali Cherri’s parents lived. Amnesty International reported that it found no evidence of a verifiable military target at the site and said residents were not warned; the investigation will examine allegations, not establish guilt.
France’s War Crimes Unit has opened an investigation into a November 2024 Israeli airstrike on a residential building in Beirut that killed the parents of French-Lebanese artist and filmmaker Ali Cherri, along with a domestic worker and other residents. The investigation follows a complaint filed by Cherri and examines allegations that the strike targeted a civilian object; it does not amount to a finding of wrongdoing.
The strike hit the 12-story apartment building in the Barbour neighborhood on November 26, 2024. Cherri’s parents, Mahmoud Naim Cherri and Nadira Hayek, and domestic worker Birki Negesa were found in the wreckage of the artist’s ninth-floor apartment, where they lived. The original report says at least four other civilians living in the building were also killed.
Cherri filed a complaint with France’s War Crimes Unit, and the investigation was opened seven months later, according to Hyperallergic. The complaint accuses Israel of war crimes, including “intentionally directing an attack against a civilian object.” That wording is an allegation in the complaint, not a conclusion reached by French investigators.
Amnesty International’s findings and a digital reconstruction commissioned by Cherri and his legal representatives at the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) informed the complaint. Forensic Architecture, a London-based investigative research agency, produced the reconstruction using documentation from Cherri and neighboring witnesses. Amnesty said its review found no evidence of a verifiable military target at the site and concluded that Israeli forces did not issue civilians an evacuation warning before the strike.
A French Probe Into Civilian Harm
The investigation gives French authorities a formal route to examine a strike that killed Cherri’s family members and other people in their homes. It also brings attention to the evidentiary questions raised by Amnesty International and the reconstruction commissioned by FIDH: whether a military target was present, whether civilians received a warning, and how the attack was carried out.
For readers, the distinction between an investigation and a finding is central. Opening a case means authorities are examining a complaint; it does not establish that a war crime occurred or identify anyone as legally responsible. The process may clarify what evidence French investigators consider relevant and whether they can take further legal steps.
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The Strike Before the Ceasefire
The attack took place on November 26, 2024, less than 12 hours before a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, according to the source report. The building had been constructed by the Cherri family. The strike’s structural damage was concentrated in apartments on the eastern side, from the seventh through tenth floors, rather than described as damage across the entire building.
In a report published in February on Israeli conduct in Lebanon, Amnesty International said it found no evidence of a verifiable military target at the site and that civilians were not given an evacuation warning. Those are the organization’s findings, cited in the complaint; they are not presented in the source material as determinations by a court. Cherri and FIDH also commissioned Forensic Architecture to reconstruct the building digitally from available documentation and witness accounts.
Evidence and Legal Findings Ahead
The available report does not specify the French investigators’ next procedural steps, the evidence they have collected, or whether they have identified any suspects. It also does not report a response from Israeli authorities to the allegations. The investigation’s scope and timetable are not stated.
Amnesty International’s assessment and Forensic Architecture’s reconstruction are part of the material cited in the complaint, but the source does not say how French investigators have evaluated them. The number of other civilian deaths is reported as at least four; further details about those victims and the full casualty record are not provided.
French Investigators’ Next Steps
The next development will depend on what evidence the War Crimes Unit gathers and whether investigators announce further steps in the case. The source report does not give a timetable for the inquiry or say when authorities may issue an update. Any future account should distinguish material supplied by Cherri, FIDH, Amnesty International and Forensic Architecture from findings made independently by French investigators.
For now, the confirmed development is the opening of the investigation following Cherri’s complaint. Whether it leads to further legal action, and what conclusions authorities reach about the strike, remain unresolved.
Key Questions
Who was killed in the Beirut airstrike?
The strike killed artist Ali Cherri’s parents, Mahmoud Naim Cherri and Nadira Hayek, and domestic worker Birki Negesa. The report says at least four other civilians living in the building also died.
What is France investigating?
France’s War Crimes Unit is investigating the November 2024 strike on a residential building in Beirut, following a complaint alleging that Israel committed war crimes by directing an attack against a civilian object.
Does opening the investigation mean a war crime has been proven?
No. The investigation means French authorities are examining the complaint. It is not a finding of guilt or a determination that a war crime occurred.
What findings did Amnesty International report?
Amnesty International said it found no evidence of a verifiable military target at the site and concluded that Israeli forces did not issue an evacuation warning before the strike. These are the organization’s findings, not a stated conclusion by French investigators.
When did the strike happen?
The airstrike hit the building on November 26, 2024, less than 12 hours before a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, according to the source report.
Source: hyperallergic.com
