This Photo Does Not Depict French Mercenaries Killed in Gaza

Misbar investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The photo, taken on May 6, 2013, depicts Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade participating in a maneuver conducted in the Golan Heights, which have been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Israeli Military Maneuvers in the Golan Heights in 2013

On April 30, 2013, the Israeli occupation army initiated military maneuvers along the borders of Lebanon and Syria. A battalion of reserve soldiers, totaling one thousand soldiers, was summoned to participate in the maneuvers.

The Israeli army clarified at the time that the maneuvers were aimed at training to address a situation experiencing "rapid escalation" and to deploy army forces to the north.

The maneuvers were followed by Syria accusing Israel of launching a series of airstrikes on targets near the Lebanese-Syrian border.

Casualties in the Israeli Army During the Gaza War

The latest statistics, published by the Israeli occupation army on April 17, reveal the number of casualties within its ranks since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 of last year. The fatalities reached 604 officers and soldiers, while the number of wounded reached 3219.

Data from an institute affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Labor indicate that over two thousand soldiers, policemen, and Israeli security personnel have been disabled due to injuries to their limbs and organs. Additionally, 37.7 percent of soldiers reported suffering from sleep disorders.

Pursuit of a French Soldier on Charges of Fighting and Torture in Gaza

The Palestinian Association in France, along with the community and the organization "Justice Without Borders" and the "March 30 Movement," have lodged a complaint with the French Public Prosecutor in Paris, demanding a thorough investigation into the dual-nationality soldier, French-Israeli Yoav Oron, on charges of torture. This is considered a war crime, within the context of the ongoing military assault on the Gaza Strip.

Christophe Le Roux, deputy spokesperson for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the scenes of humiliation by the Israeli soldier of French origin against blindfolded Palestinians as "shocking and revolting." He clarified that the French judiciary is the competent authority to investigate crimes committed in foreign countries by individuals holding French nationality.

French Soldiers With Dual Nationality Are Fighting Alongside the Israeli Army

According to a report published by the French network "Europe 1," 4,185 French-Israeli dual nationals have been recruited to fight in the ranks of the Israeli occupation in Gaza.

The report caused a media uproar in France and abroad, relying on the testimony of a French mercenary in Gaza. Ethan (22 years old) testified that he joined the Israeli army two years ago and is currently fighting on the front lines in Gaza, holding the rank of sergeant major in the elite forces.

As a result, Member of Parliament Thomas Portes, from the left-wing "Unsubmissive France" party, demanded "holding these dual-national recruits accountable and condemning their participation in war crimes with the utmost firmness."

The French Minister of Justice called for "bringing individuals holding French nationality, including dual nationals, convicted of war crimes, to French justice for trial on French soil."

French MP Thomas Portes, from the "Unsubmissive France" party, mentioned that he filed a criminal complaint with the French Public Prosecutor's Office against more than 4,185 Israeli soldiers of French origin, representing over two percent of the workforce in the occupation army. French-Israeli dual nationals are the largest group in the occupation army after American-Israeli dual nationals.

Read More

Israel Denies Responsibility for Blocking Humanitarian Aid to Gaza Strip

The Intercept Exposes the New York Times’ Bias in Favor of the Israeli Narrative