Human rights organisations and trade unions in France have raised the alarm over a planned shipment of French-made electronic components destined for Israel, warning that such transfers directly contribute to the ongoing bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon. The shipment, due to depart Paris on an El Al flight, reportedly includes drone and bomb components manufactured by a French subsidiary of an American group, with Israel’s arms giant Elbit Systems believed to be the final recipient.

Several French groups, including the Jewish Union for Peace, have formally urged the government to clarify the nature of the cargo and to guarantee that French technology is not being used in attacks that have left entire communities devastated. Trade unions have gone further, declaring their refusal to participate in what they describe as complicity in crimes against civilians. They demand an immediate halt to any involvement in weapons transfers and a clear break with policies that enable ongoing bloodshed.

The French government has consistently denied supplying arms for the war in Gaza but has refused to publish details of its military exports. Last year alone, those exports totalled over €16 million. Rights advocates argue that continuing such trade, without transparency or accountability, risks implicating French institutions and companies in grave violations of international law. For many, the issue is not only one of foreign policy but of moral responsibility.