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.
Yet France went no further than recognising the State of Palestine last September and declaring the Israeli occupation illegal.
Regarding economic actions, the French government has remained passive, only issuing recommendations to French businesses operating in the West Bank, warning that they may risk "violating international law".
