Key facts
- A French businessman filed a war crimes complaint in Paris against the Israeli army.
- The complaint alleges the uprooting of 600 centuries-old olive trees in southern Lebanon.
- The trees were on land cultivated by the businessman's family for 250 years.
- The suit cites theft, destruction of property, and war crimes.
- The businessman suspects the trees were transferred to Israel.
A French businessman born in Lebanon has filed a complaint in Paris against the Israeli army, accusing it of war crimes for allegedly uprooting approximately 600 centuries-old olive trees on his family's land in Zawtar el-Charqiyé, southern Lebanon. The complaint, seen by AFP, details accusations of theft, destruction of property, and suspects the trees were transferred to Israel. The businessman's lawyers stated that there is no evidence to suggest the trees or the agricultural fields were being used as military equipment by Hezbollah. The land has been cultivated by his family for 250 years, and some of the trees are claimed to be half a millennium old.