Artist Ali Cherri Files War Crime Case Over Israeli Strike That Killed Parents

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The visual artist and filmmaker Ali Cherri has filed a civil complaint in a French court relating to an Israeli airstrike on Beirut that killed seven civilians, including his mother and father. 

The complaint, filed against unidentified perpetrators, denounces the Israeli army’s 2024 bombing and alleges that the attack may constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law.

“As a son, a citizen, and a victim, it is my duty to ensure that this war crime committed by the Israeli army is recognised for what it is, so that it may be brought to justice for my parents and for all the civilians killed that day,” Cherri said.

“Justice cannot undo death, but seeking justice means refusing to let impunity lead to the destruction of other lives.”

The Franco-Lebanese artist’s family home was destroyed in the strike on 26 November 2024, just a few hours before a ceasefire was established between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Cherri’s parents, 86-year-old Mahmoud Naib Cherri and 76-year-old Nadira Hayek, alongside their employee Birki Negesa, were killed, along with four other civilians.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, the strike was carried out on a “civilian object”, with no effective warning issued in advance. 

Cherri’s case draws on findings from multiple investigations, including research cited by rights groups and visual analysis of the strike.

Amnesty International said its own investigation into the incident found no indication of a military target in or around the building when it was hit. On this basis, the organisation has also called for the strike to be investigated as a potential war crime.

Heba Morayef, regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said: “If War Crimes Unit prosecutors open an investigation into this complaint, this would offer a rare opportunity to examine Israel’s actions in a European court given the general impunity it usually enjoys.

“This case could offer some form of accountability and reparation to victims of this deadly attack.”

Amnesty International also pointed to what it described as a broader pattern of airstrikes on residential buildings in Lebanon since October 2023 that have resulted in civilian casualties. 

“More than a year later, none of the victims of these attacks have received justice or reparations and with the renewed intensification of hostilities, people in Lebanon are being forced again to witness their family members being killed, their homes destroyed, and their safety threatened,” Morayef said.