Ali Cherri, a Lebanese-French artist and filmmaker, together with the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), have initiated a legal case in France accusing unknown individuals of war crimes. This follows an incident in 2024 where Cherri’s parents were killed during an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.
Cherri, who splits his time between Paris and Beirut, is renowned in Lebanon as a leading contemporary artist. His artworks have been exhibited at major institutions such as the Guggenheim and Tate Modern, and his debut film The Dam was featured at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2023.
He has officially filed a complaint with the French War Crimes Unit, focusing on the November 26, 2024 airstrike that struck a residential building in Beirut, claiming the lives of seven civilians.
The strike demolished three levels of the apartment complex, resulting in the death of Cherri’s parents, Mahmoud Naim Cherri and Nadira Hayek, and their domestic helper, Birki Negesa.
Together with the FIDH, Cherri’s legal action contests the bombing of a non-military site by the Israeli forces, which they argue could be classified as a war crime under both French and international humanitarian law.
The claims are supported by digital reconstructions from Forensic Architecture and documents from Amnesty International, which underscore the deliberate nature of the attack and attribute responsibility to the Israeli military.
Cherri expressed his motivations for pursuing legal action: “As a son, a citizen, and a victim, I feel obligated to have this act by the Israeli army acknowledged as a war crime, to achieve justice for my parents and all the civilians who lost their lives that day. Pursuing justice doesn’t reverse death, but it does challenge the impunity that could otherwise lead to more destruction,” he stated.
The attack took place during a late-2024 escalation of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, specifically under the Israeli military campaign Northern Arrows aimed at dismantling the Iran-supported group. The airstrike occurred just hours before a ceasefire was set to begin.
An Amnesty International probe confirmed the absence of military targets within the Cherri family’s apartment block on the night of the airstrike.
Amnesty International deemed the airstrike a probable violation of international humanitarian law, suggesting it was either indiscriminate or a direct attack on civilians and should be investigated as a war crime. Despite reaching out to Israeli authorities for clarification on the intended military targets and the precautions taken to minimize civilian casualties, no response was received before the report’s publication.
The report also quotes Ali Cherri’s sister, Lara, who believed their parents were safe in the apartment as there were no obvious military targets residing there.
The FIDH outlined that the death of the Cherri parents was part of a broader pattern that includes around 4,300 civilian casualties in Lebanon as Israel pursued military actions against Hezbollah.
Wadih Al-Asmar of the Lebanese Center for Human Rights highlighted that Cherri’s legal move is a pioneering effort to address the crimes against civilians by the Israeli military on Lebanese soil through judicial avenues.
Clémence Bectarte, an attorney with the FIDH, emphasized the clear violation of international humanitarian law, which mandates a distinction between military and civilian targets, and urged the French justice system to hold those responsible accountable.
This legal action follows closely after an Israeli strike killed renowned cameraman and director Mohamad Shehab and his young daughter while they slept in their home in Aramoun, near Beirut. Shehab had been involved in documenting the Cherri’s apartment for Forensic Architecture.
Shehab’s wife, Natalie Kamal El-Din, a popular influencer and shop owner, is currently in critical condition. The Israeli military claimed the strike targeted a suspected Hezbollah commander.
The FIDH noted that the circumstances of Shehab’s death mirror those of the Cherri family’s tragedy, underscoring the ongoing and intensifying nature of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, including those aimed at civilians.
Updated on April 3 with additional details from the Amnesty International report.
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