Press release of June 7, 2025
The JURDI association of lawyers filed, on June 5, 2025, an application for interim relief before the Administrative Court of Marseille, requesting the immediate suspension of any authorization for the delivery, transit and loading of a cargo of weapons destined for the company Israel Military Industries (IMI), a subsidiary of the Elbit Systems group, on board the ship CONTSHIP ERA (IMO 9507702), currently in the port of Fos-sur-Mer.
According to reports in the media outlets Disclose and The Ditch, this ship, which arrived from Haifa (Israel) on June 5, is carrying 14 tons of spare parts for machine guns, manufactured by the Marseille-based company Eurolinks. This would be the third arms shipment between Fos and Haifa since the beginning of the year.
While the French government, through its foreign minister, asserts that "France does not supply weapons to Israel" and that these components are simply intended for re-export, no mechanism for verifying the final recipient is in place. The CGT dockworkers' union in Fos alerted the authorities and refused to load the container, refusing to participate "« to the ongoing genocide orchestrated by the Israeli government ».
On the night of June 6-7, the CONTSHIP ERA left the port of Marseille without loading its cargo, thanks to the dockworkers' refusal. JURDI commends their action, which constitutes a strong demonstration of respect for and implementation of international law. The association nevertheless maintains its appeal to the Administrative Court in order to obtain the formal suspension of all authorizations relating to this cargo and to prevent similar transfers from occurring in the future.
Since October 7, 2023, the State of Israel has been committing acts in Gaza that constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. At least 54,607 Palestinians have been killed and 125,341 wounded, including more than 50,000 children. 290 UNRWA staff members and 181 journalists have been killed, and nearly 90% of Gaza's population has been forcibly displaced, some multiple times. 92% of homes and nearly 70% of infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged, 96% of agricultural land is unusable, and almost all of Gaza's hospitals have been targeted by Israeli airstrikes, with only 21 out of 36 remaining partially operational.
In this context, the delivery of weapons components raises a grave and imminent risk of violations of the rights to life, human dignity, and peace, protected by international law. It comes at a time when the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has recognized the existence of a real risk of genocide in Gaza and has ordered binding provisional measures against Israel, and when the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against several high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
France is bound, in light of its international commitments, to prevent any risk of participation in or complicity in such crimes. In accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Arms Trade Treaty, ratified by France in 1950 and 2014 respectively, a State Party is prohibited from authorizing a transfer of arms if there is a risk that those arms will be used to commit genocide or other serious crimes.
In light of this situation, JURDI calls on the French government to suspend all administrative authorizations relating to the shipment of equipment, weapons, parts, components, dual-use goods and technologies to Israel, to scrupulously respect its international obligations and to refrain from any form of complicity in the commission of international crimes.
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