Rights groups sue France over inaction on financial ties to illegal Israeli settlements

AI Summary

Five human rights groups filed a lawsuit against the French government for failing to stop domestic companies from engaging in financial activities tied to illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The case cites non-compliance with a 2024 ICJ advisory opinion calling for states to prevent economic support of the occupation.

Rights groups sue France over inaction on financial ties to illegal Israeli settlements Five human rights groups are suing the French government in the country’s highest administrative court for not acting to prevent domestic companies from participating in financial activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). The plaintiffs filed the case on Wednesday, citing the government's failure in adopting recommendations from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Following a July 2024 ICJ advisory opinion that declared Israel’s presence in the OPT unlawful and required states to prevent economic activities that sustain the occupation, several EU countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain, introduced measures targeting Israeli settlement policies and connected entities. Read more: Rights groups sue France over inaction on financial ties to illegal Israeli settlements Banners reading "No to the annexation of the West Bank!" and "Cease fire now!" during a march in Paris, 21 September 2025 (Bertrand Guay/AFP)