France has opened a "war crime" and "torture" investigation into Israel's treatment of French activists who were detained during a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla last month, the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said on Friday.
The probe was launched following a referral by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
Barrot said that he took the action after receiving a report from France's consul general in Türkiye, which detailed "sexual violence, exposure to cold, beatings, and repeated humiliation" against French citizens after Israel intercepted the flotilla on May 18.
The Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla sailed from southern Türkiye, trying to breach Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian supplies to Palestinian civilians.
In video footages, released by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on his social media channels on May 20, dozens of activists were in custody and brought to Israel's Ashdod Port, surrounded by heavily armed Israeli personnel.
Israel's treatment of members from the Gaza-bound aid flotilla has sparked global condemnation.
On May 23, Barrot announced that Ben-Gvir had been banned from entering France effective immediately, noting that the decision followed Ben-Gvir's "unacceptable" actions toward French and European citizens aboard the Gaza-bound flotilla.
French prosecutors open probe over Israel's treatment of French nationals on Gaza flotilla
U.S. stocks ended sharply lower on Friday, as a stronger-than-expected May jobs report heightened bets on a potential Federal Reserve rate hike later this year.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 695.15 points, or 1.35 percent, to 50,866.78. The Standard and Poor's 500 sank 200.57 points, or 2.64 percent, to 7,383.74. The Nasdaq Composite Index shed 1,121.53 points, or 4.18 percent, to 25,709.43.
Six of the 11 primary Standard and Poor's 500 sectors closed in negative territory, with technology and consumer discretionary leading the declines at 5.78 percent and 2.43 percent, respectively. Consumer staples and utilities were the top performers, rising 1.64 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employers added 172,000 jobs in May, exceeding economists' expectations of around 88,000. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.3 percent.
While the strong labor market data underscored economic resilience, it also raised concerns about persistent inflation and reduced the likelihood of near-term monetary easing.
Traders now price in a Federal Reserve rate hike by the end of this year. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the probability of interest rates rising by year-end jumped to 72.7 percent on Friday, up from 50.5 percent the previous day. This shift came even as U.S. President Donald Trump continued to press for interest rate cuts while his nominee, Kevin Warsh, assumed leadership of the Federal Reserve.
Market volatility intensified this week as investors took profits after recent rallies and adjusted expectations for Fed policy. The CBOE Volatility Index, Wall Street's fear gauge, surged over 30 percent to its highest level in two months.
In the technology sector, concerns over the artificial intelligence investment boom persisted. Broadcom continued to plummet following its disappointing earnings forecast earlier in the week, while Micron Technology, Advanced Micro Devices, and Intel also posted notable losses.
U.S. stocks tank as strong jobs report fuels rate-hike expectations
