Paris — French authorities have issued arrest warrants for two Franco-Israeli citizens on suspicion of “complicity in genocide,” alleging they attempted to obstruct humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. The warrants, issued in July 2023, mark a potentially groundbreaking legal step, as it’s the first time a nation has considered blocking aid as a possible component of genocide, according to a lawyer representing the NGOs that filed the complaint.
Aid Blockade Faces Genocide Inquiry
The legal action centers on efforts to halt aid convoys entering Gaza, raising complex questions about the intersection of political activism and international law.
- Nili Kupfer-Naouri and Rachel Touitou are the subjects of the warrants.
- The warrants do not authorize immediate detention, but require the women to appear before an investigating magistrate.
- The accusations stem from attempts to block aid trucks at the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom border crossings between January and November 2024, and in May 2025.
- Activists involved reportedly opposed aid deliveries while Israeli hostages remained captive in Gaza.
What constitutes “complicity in genocide” under international law? The legal threshold requires demonstrating intent to contribute to an act of genocide, and a direct link between the actions and the resulting harm. This case will test those boundaries.
The warrants target Nili Kupfer-Naouri, associated with the Israel is Forever group, and Rachel Touitou, linked to the Tsav 9 organization. Activists from both groups reportedly sought to impede aid convoys destined for Gaza, a source close to the investigation revealed following reports in French media. The warrants request their appearance before an investigating magistrate, but do not include provisions for their arrest.
The pair are accused of attempting to block aid trucks entering Gaza between January and November 2024, and again in May 2025, at the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom border crossings. At the time, some activists voiced opposition to aid deliveries while Israeli hostages were still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Beyond blocking the aid, Kupfer-Naouri and Touitou are also suspected of “public provocation for genocide” by publicly advocating for the prevention of aid reaching Gaza, the source added.
Olivier Pardo, legal counsel for Kupfer-Naouri, asserted that her actions were “pacifist” in nature, intended to condemn what she views as the “hijacking” of humanitarian aid by Hamas, the militant group that initiated the October 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel. That attack resulted in the abduction of hundreds of hostages.
Touitou, 34, expressed her views on social media, stating: “If peacefully demonstrating with an Israeli flag against a terrorist organization seizing humanitarian aid, diverting it, and reselling it at exorbitant prices to Gazans is a crime — then there is no need to look down on the mullahs, France is Iran!”
Kupfer-Naouri, 50, described the French investigation as “antisemitic madness” in an interview. Her lawyer, Pardo, stated she is currently in Israel but willing to cooperate with French investigators.
Another source familiar with the investigation indicated that warrants could be issued for approximately 10 additional individuals.
The initial complaints were filed last year by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, along with the organizations Al-Haq and Al-Mezan. Israel has designated Al-Haq as a terrorist group. Clemence Bectarte, representing the complainant groups, emphasized that this investigation represents a novel application of genocide law.
Separate legal complaints have also been lodged in France concerning “war crimes” related to the deaths of Franco-Palestinian children in Gaza during Israeli strikes, and against two Franco-Israeli soldiers involved in operations within the territory. A further complaint pertains to the October 7, 2023, attack led by Hamas.
Israel strongly refutes accusations of genocide in Gaza, maintaining that it takes precautions to minimize harm to noncombatants while asserting that Hamas operates from within civilian areas.
Following the implementation of a ceasefire last October, all remaining hostages held in Gaza were returned, with the body of Ran Gvili repatriated last week.
