France says will not probe French-origin soldiers in Israeli army due to 'dual loyalty'

By Aysu Bicer

PARIS (AA) - France will refrain from conducting investigations into French-origin soldiers serving in the Israeli army, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said Thursday.

Responding to inquiries regarding potential investigations into the actions of French-Israeli citizens who have enlisted in the Israeli military, Lemoine underscored the principle of dual citizenship, emphasizing the notion of dual loyalty.

"You know that dual citizenship implies dual loyalty, so, we will not investigate what French-Israeli citizens do regarding their military obligations in Israel," he told journalists at a news conference.

Pressed on whether French-origin Israeli soldiers would face trial in France for any potential crimes committed against Gazans, Lemoine was noncommittal.

"This is a somewhat forward-looking question," he said, "because if I understood your question correctly, they have not yet committed these crimes, so if they do commit these crimes and it is proven, I will answer you when the time comes."

Highlighting the critical importance of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, Lemoine characterized the situation as "dreadful."

He expressed satisfaction with the World Food Programme's delivery of aid to the northern Gaza Strip, advocating for the opening of entry points to facilitate the distribution of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

In condemning attempts by far-right Israelis to obstruct the delivery of aid to Gaza, Lemoine said any such hindrance must be unequivocally denounced.

Additionally, he condemned violations of international humanitarian law in Palestine, including acts of colonialism and hate speech by Israeli ministers.

Commending the initiative to establish a temporary port for humanitarian aid to Gaza, the French spokesperson stressed the urgent need to expedite the delivery of a substantial amount of assistance to the region.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza, and over 73,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities in an Israeli onslaught that was prompted by a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, which Israel said killed than 1,200 people.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.