Monday, May 18, 2026 - French authorities have arrested six people suspected of flying a Palestinian flag from the Eiffel Tower without official permission, according to a police source.
The large flag was draped from the tower’s first floor on
Friday afternoon. Extinction Rebellion France later claimed responsibility for
the action, saying it was intended as a “message of support” for Palestinians.
A representative of the group accused Israel of carrying out
“massacres” in Gaza and alleged “ecocide crimes”, including the uprooting of
olive trees on Palestinian land. The demonstration was timed to coincide with
Nakba Day, which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during the
creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
The Eiffel Tower has previously been used as a symbolic site
for displays linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In September, the
flags of both Israel and Palestine, alongside images of a dove and olive branch
representing peace, were projected onto the landmark ahead of France’s
recognition of a Palestinian state.
In October 2023, following attacks carried out by Hamas
against Israel, the tower was illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag.
According to official Israeli figures compiled by AFP, Hamas’s October 2023
attack killed 1,221 people, most of them civilians.
Israeli military operations launched in response have killed
more than 72,700 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health
ministry. Although a ceasefire was reached in October, violence has continued
across Gaza, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the
truce.
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