Dockworkers at the port of Marseille-Fos have refused to load a container allegedly containing parts for machine guns destined for Israel, citing opposition to the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza. The French defence ministry insists the components are sent to Israel for assembly and then sent back to France, or exported to other countries.
Issued on: 05/06/2025 - 12:53
Containers at the port of Marseille-Fos. AP - Claude Paris
The hard-left CGT union representing dockworkers and port personnel at Fos-sur-Mer says the the cargo contains 19 pallets of ammunition belt links manufactured by Eurolinks – a Marseille-based company which produces components for automatic weapons.
The container, which is scheduled to be shipped from the southern French port to the Israeli port of Haifa on Thursday, is currently blocked.
The union said it was able to locate the container after being alerted by several activist networks.
“We will not load it on to the vessel bound for Haifa,” the CGT said in a statement.
Eurolinks produces metallic links used to connect rounds in machine guns, allowing them to be fired in rapid succession.
“These Eurolinks links are spare parts for machine guns used by the Israeli army to continue the massacre of the Palestinian population,” the CGT stated. “The port of Marseille-Fos must not be used to supply the Israeli army... dockworkers and port employees at the Gulf of Fos will not be complicit in the ongoing genocide orchestrated by the Israeli government."
UN committee says Israel warfare in Gaza 'consistent with genocide'
The French Armed Forces Ministry rejects the union's claims. "France is not supplying weapons to Israel," it told public radio FranceInfo.
In line with the licence given to Eurolinks, the links are assembled in Israel, but the final product is then re-exported back to other countries, including France, the ministry said, adding that Israel remains "a partner".
"We're not going to deprive ourselves of either its technology or its skills," it stated.
The hard-left CGT union representing dockworkers and port personnel at Fos-sur-Mer says the the cargo contains 19 pallets of ammunition belt links manufactured by Eurolinks – a Marseille-based company which produces components for automatic weapons.
The container, which is scheduled to be shipped from the southern French port to the Israeli port of Haifa on Thursday, is currently blocked.
The union said it was able to locate the container after being alerted by several activist networks.
“We will not load it on to the vessel bound for Haifa,” the CGT said in a statement.
Eurolinks produces metallic links used to connect rounds in machine guns, allowing them to be fired in rapid succession.
“These Eurolinks links are spare parts for machine guns used by the Israeli army to continue the massacre of the Palestinian population,” the CGT stated. “The port of Marseille-Fos must not be used to supply the Israeli army... dockworkers and port employees at the Gulf of Fos will not be complicit in the ongoing genocide orchestrated by the Israeli government."
UN committee says Israel warfare in Gaza 'consistent with genocide'
The French Armed Forces Ministry rejects the union's claims. "France is not supplying weapons to Israel," it told public radio FranceInfo.
In line with the licence given to Eurolinks, the links are assembled in Israel, but the final product is then re-exported back to other countries, including France, the ministry said, adding that Israel remains "a partner".
"We're not going to deprive ourselves of either its technology or its skills," it stated.
Third delivery this year
This is the third shipment of this type to Israel this year, according to an enquiry by investigative websites Disclose and The Ditch, which had access to maritime data.
The first took place on 3 April, with 20 tonnes of war material, and the second, with 1 million M9 and 1 million M27 bullets, was on 22 May.
"The buyer of these parts is an Israeli arms manufacturer, one of the main suppliers to the Israeli army," Ariane Lavrilleux, a journalist at Disclose, told RFI.
In March 2024, Disclose and another online media outlet Marsactu, claimed the arms were "likely to be used against civilians in the Gaza Strip".
French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed at the time that Eurolinks had sold similar parts to IMI Systems – an Israeli defence firm that identifies itself as a “sole supplier” to the Israeli military.
Lecornu stated that the parts could only be "re-exported" by Israel.
"France has no way of checking whether or not the Israeli manufacturer is re-exporting them," Lavrilleux insists. "There is no absolute proof that these links are being used in Gaza, but there is a serious risk insofar as we know that they are compatible with weapons used against civilians in Gaza."
This is the third shipment of this type to Israel this year, according to an enquiry by investigative websites Disclose and The Ditch, which had access to maritime data.
The first took place on 3 April, with 20 tonnes of war material, and the second, with 1 million M9 and 1 million M27 bullets, was on 22 May.
"The buyer of these parts is an Israeli arms manufacturer, one of the main suppliers to the Israeli army," Ariane Lavrilleux, a journalist at Disclose, told RFI.
In March 2024, Disclose and another online media outlet Marsactu, claimed the arms were "likely to be used against civilians in the Gaza Strip".
French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed at the time that Eurolinks had sold similar parts to IMI Systems – an Israeli defence firm that identifies itself as a “sole supplier” to the Israeli military.
Lecornu stated that the parts could only be "re-exported" by Israel.
"France has no way of checking whether or not the Israeli manufacturer is re-exporting them," Lavrilleux insists. "There is no absolute proof that these links are being used in Gaza, but there is a serious risk insofar as we know that they are compatible with weapons used against civilians in Gaza."
Left-wing support
The dockers' action has received support from the left.
"Glory to the dockers in the port of Marseille-Fos... everywhere in the world, the fight is being organised against the genocide in Gaza," Manuel Bompard, an MP with the hard-left France Unbowed party, posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The party's leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, posted a similar message, calling for an "embargo now on the weapons of genocide".
Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, also congratulated the dockers, posting on X that: "Humanism is not for sale."
RFI joins 135 NGOs and media groups in urging unrestricted press access to Gaza
The press freedom group Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has published an open letter signed by 136 human rights organisations and media groups, including RFI, calling for immediate, independent, and unrestricted access for international journalists to the Gaza Strip.
Issued on: 05/06/2025
Journalists hold a banner reading "Gaza, stop the massacre of journalists, solidarity with our colleagues" during a demonstration in support of their Palestinian colleagues in front of the Opera Bastille in Paris, on April 16, 2025. AFP - STEPHANE DE SAKUTINThe demand comes amid escalating military operations and mounting concerns over the safety of local journalists and the suppression of information from the besieged territory.
Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have barred foreign journalists from entering Gaza—a move that media organisations describe as unprecedented in the context of modern warfare.
With access tightly controlled, the global media has been unable to independently verify events on the ground, raising serious concerns about transparency, accountability, and the public’s right to information
Palestinian journalists killed
Local journalists have borne the brunt of the conflict. According to press freedom monitors, nearly 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the start of the war, with many more injured or operating under constant threat.
Reporters inside Gaza are working amid widespread displacement, food shortages and communication blackouts, often risking their lives to document the unfolding crisis.
Journalist safety and press access are protected under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which classify journalists in conflict zones as civilians and prohibit targeting them.
Advocates are urging Israel to comply with these legal obligations and to open its borders to international media.
“At this pivotal moment, with renewed military action and efforts to resume the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the letter reads, “it is vital that Israel open Gaza’s borders for international journalists to be able to report freely and that Israel abides by its international obligations to protect journalists as civilians."
Independent reporting essential
The call for access comes as renewed military actions take place in the region and humanitarian agencies struggle to deliver aid to civilians.
Media organisations say that independent reporting is essential to understanding the scope of the crisis and ensuring global awareness of its human impact.
Despite the dangers, local journalists in Gaza continue to report from the ground, often using limited tools and under severe threat. Their work, say advocates, underscores the urgent need for global media presence to amplify their efforts and ensure accountability.
The international community is being urged to pressure Israeli authorities to lift restrictions and allow journalists to enter Gaza freely. Until then, concerns over censorship, misinformation, and the erasure of on-the-ground realities are likely to intensify.
French woman sues Israel over Gaza strike that killed two grandchildren
A French grandmother has filed a legal complaint in Paris accusing Israeli authorities of responsibility for the deaths of her two grandchildren in Gaza during an airstrike in October 2023. The case includes charges of murder and genocide and was lodged on Friday with the crimes against humanity division of the Paris Judicial Court.
Issued on: 06/06/2025 - RFI
According to Unicef, more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in Gaza since October 2023. REUTERS - Hatem KhaledThe complaint relates to the deaths of Janna and Abderrahim Abudaher, aged 6 and 9, who were killed when their family home in northern Gaza was struck by two missiles on 24 October 2023.
The missiles were allegedly fired by Israeli F-16 jets.
The airstrike occurred 17 days after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israeli soil.
The 48-page lawsuit was lodged by lawyer Arié Alimi on behalf of Jacqueline Rivault – the children's maternal grandmother.
The children are French nationals, which means the case could fall under the jurisdiction of French courts.
Israeli leadership targeted
Rivault accuses the Israeli authorities of murder, crimes against humanity, genocide and complicity in those crimes.
Although filed against unnamed persons – "X" – the complaint explicitly names Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government and the country's military (IDF).
For Rivault, the case also highlights France’s failure to protect its own citizens. The French government "should have evacuated French nationals living in the Gaza Strip,” she told France Info public radio.
The complaint argues that the strike was not an isolated event but part of a broader campaign to “eliminate the Palestinian population and subject them to conditions intended to bring about the destruction of the group” – a core element in the legal definition of genocide.
According to the filing, the Abudaher family fled their apartment due to heavy bombing, seeking refuge in two other locations before settling in a house in northern Gaza, near Fallujah and Beit Lahia.
The house was hit by two missiles – one piercing the roof, the other striking the room where the family had gathered.
Abderrahim died instantly, Janna died shortly after being taken to the hospital. Their brother Omar survived with serious injuries. Their mother, Yasmine Z, was also wounded.
Yasmine Z, previously convicted in absentia in France for financing terrorism, remains in Gaza and is subject to a French arrest warrant.
Seeking accountability
Rivault's lawyer Alimi said the case aims to ensure accountability beyond Israeli borders. "It is necessary that those who were involved, in one way or another, in acts that could be classified as crimes against humanity or genocide, know that when they leave Israel's borders they can be arrested anywhere,” he told France Info.
Responsibility lies not only with leaders, he said, "but anyone who will have participated in one way or another".
The lawsuit joins a growing list of international efforts to hold Israeli officials accountable for alleged war crimes and genocide – charges Israel strongly denies, calling them "scandalous".
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The International Federation for Human Rights was the first to declare Israel’s actions as genocidal in December 2023. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch followed suit in 2024.
In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent acts of genocide. In mid-May, the UN's top humanitarian official called on world leaders to act to prevent a genocide in Gaza.
Similar legal actions have been initiated in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany.
In France, three complaints have recently been filed against dual French-Israeli citizens or IDF soldiers, accusing them of genocide or complicity in genocide – although none have gained traction so far.
(with AFP)
Rivault's lawyer Alimi said the case aims to ensure accountability beyond Israeli borders. "It is necessary that those who were involved, in one way or another, in acts that could be classified as crimes against humanity or genocide, know that when they leave Israel's borders they can be arrested anywhere,” he told France Info.
Responsibility lies not only with leaders, he said, "but anyone who will have participated in one way or another".
The lawsuit joins a growing list of international efforts to hold Israeli officials accountable for alleged war crimes and genocide – charges Israel strongly denies, calling them "scandalous".
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The International Federation for Human Rights was the first to declare Israel’s actions as genocidal in December 2023. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch followed suit in 2024.
In January, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent acts of genocide. In mid-May, the UN's top humanitarian official called on world leaders to act to prevent a genocide in Gaza.
Similar legal actions have been initiated in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany.
In France, three complaints have recently been filed against dual French-Israeli citizens or IDF soldiers, accusing them of genocide or complicity in genocide – although none have gained traction so far.
(with AFP)
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