A French investigating magistrate has issued summonses to two French-Israeli nationals, Nili Kupfer-Naouri and Rachel Touitou, in connection with allegations of “complicity in genocide” for attempting to block humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza, according to French media reports. The summonses, issued in July, mark the first time a country has considered the blocking of aid as potential complicity in genocide.
Kupfer-Naouri is associated with the group Israel is Forever, which supported the obstruction of aid convoys, while Touitou leads Tsav 9, a group that physically blocked and damaged humanitarian shipments. In 2024, the Biden administration labelled Tsav 9 as a “violent, extremist” group and imposed sanctions, which were later lifted by the Trump administration. Israel restricted aid shipments during the war, leading to widespread hunger and a human-made famine in parts of Gaza last summer.
Both women have publicly criticised the investigation. Kupfer-Naouri called it “antisemitic madness” and stated she would no longer be able to travel to France. Touitou described the charges as political persecution, insisting her group was “peacefully demonstrating” against a “terrorist organisation”. The summonses do not require their arrest but could lead to detention after interview.
The initial complaint was filed by Palestinian human rights groups, including the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Lawyer Clémence Bectarte said the investigation was the first of its kind, noting that “deliberately depriving Palestinians in Gaza of humanitarian aid can constitute complicity in genocide”. The French-Palestinian collective Nidal welcomed the summonses as evidence of “legal resistance”.
