HRF and Urgence Palestine Investigation Leads to War Crimes Complaint in France Against Former Israeli Soldier Elitzur Gitler

3 September 2026, Brussels, Belgium/ Paris, France — French MP, Thomas Portes, has filed a complaint (signalement) in France under Article 40 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure against former platoon commander in the Israeli army, Elitzur Gitler. The complaint is based on an investigation conducted by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) in partnership with Urgence Palestine, which documents Gitler’s involvement in operations targeting civilians and protected objects during the genocide in Gaza between November 2023 and April 2024. 

This investigation was prompted by information received from FRACBI (the French Coordination for the Academic, Cultural and Sporting Boycott of Israel) regarding the suspect’s presence on French territory.

Gitler is currently present in France to participate in the 2026 Roundnet World Championship in Paris (2-6 September 2026), organized by the International Roundnet Federation (IRF). 

HRF and Urgence Palestine are calling for the immediate initiation of a preliminary investigation, as well as the adoption of provisional measures without any delay, to prevent the suspect from returning to Israel, to preserve the evidence, and to ensure that no obstacles prevent the investigation from being launched and carried out effectively.

Allegations against Gitler

The evidence indicates that Gitler served with the Lahav Company of the 9th Armored Battalion (401st Armored Brigade) during the genocide in Gaza. As a platoon commander, he held a position within the chain of command responsible for directing tactical movements, coordinating fire support, and executing operational orders at the ground level. 

HRF’s investigation details four specific incidents where Gitler’s unit was implicated in the systematic destruction and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, namely:

• The attack on Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City in November 2023
• The destruction of Bani Suheila Square in the Khan Younis governorate in December 2023
• The destruction of several buildings in the Hamad City of Khan Younis in March 2024
• The demolition of the Hassan al-Banna Mosque and Tiberias School in Khan Younis in March/April 2024

These acts amount to crimes under the French Criminal Code, the UN Convention against Torture, the Fourth Geneva Convention, Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as the Genocide Convention.

France as a Safe Haven for Traveling Genocidaires

Despite the suspect’s physical presence in France, the path to justice is obstructed by specific legislative restrictions that render the concept of universal jurisdiction effectively void. Unlike torture or enforced disappearance, where mere presence suffices, prosecutions for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are constrained by four restrictive conditions under the French Code of Criminal Procedure.

Most notably, the habitual residence requirement demands that judges demonstrate a "sufficient link" between the suspect and France. This condition is a blatant violation of France’s binding obligations under the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention, which mandate that signatories investigate and punish perpetrators regardless of nationality or location.

France remains one of the only EU member states to maintain such strict barriers, undermining its stated commitment to fighting impunity for international crimes.

Natacha Bracq, Head of Litigation at HRF:

“As long as these barriers persist, France will continue to serve as a safe haven for genocidaires. It is unacceptable that individuals who voluntarily participated in documented atrocities can walk freely around Paris and participate in sporting events in France, simply because they hold valid passports or invitations to events.

The Hind Rajab Foundation and Urgence Palestine call on the French government to immediately honor its international obligations and ensure that the presence of suspected war criminals on its territory leads to effective prosecution.”

Thomas Nayla, lawyer, Urgence Palestine: 

“France must urgently amend its universal jurisdiction legislation to enable investigations and the implementation of all necessary measures, such as police custody and formal indictment, to ensure that justice and international law are upheld in France. Any soldier who has participated in the genocide and other war crimes in Palestine must be subject to thorough investigations.

We call on the French government to prosecute the only true perpetrators of the crimes committed, rather than deploying vast resources – most often unlawful – to repress activists and resistance fighters in the Palestinian liberation struggle.”

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About the Hind Rajab Foundation

This report forms part of HRF’s ongoing litigation strategy. Since 2024, the Foundation has submitted over 100 criminal complaints across 30 jurisdictions and 19 Article 15 submissions to the International Criminal Court. 

Recent procedural developments, including arrests at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom, Belgium, and at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada, as well as probe orders issued in Brazil, demonstrate that this legal strategy is producing tangible results in the pursuit of accountability.

About Urgence Palestine 

Urgence Palestine (UP) is the only movement in France organised around Palestinians and their allies for the liberation of Palestine, and which holds the view that Palestine lies at the heart of anti-colonial, anti-racist and anti-imperialist struggles. 

Urgence Palestine was founded in France in October 2023, against a backdrop of the urgent need to mobilise against the ongoing genocide in Palestine. It is an independent political, social and cultural movement — unaffiliated with any political or religious party or organisation — comprising citizens, collectives, community organisations and trade unions, and which promotes the defence of human rights and international law. Now active in 25 towns and cities, Urgence Palestine works daily from France to strengthen the struggle for the liberation of Palestine. 

Urgence Palestine supports and participates in legal actions in France against French individuals, institutions and companies involved in the colonisation, apartheid and genocide committed by Israel.