In October 2023, after Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out deadly attacks on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, the tower was lit up with the Israeli flag.
Macron NATO
French President Emmanuel Macron takes part in a event on industrial decarbonization at the National Museum in Oslo, Norway, on June 23, 2025. French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Kingdom of Norway on June 23 and June 24, 2025. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
French authorities have arrested six people suspected of flying a Palestinian flag from the Eiffel Tower without permission, a police source said on Saturday.
Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion France claimed responsibility for draping the large flag from the tower’s first floor on Friday afternoon.
A representative said it was sending a “message of support” to Palestinians, accusing Israel of carrying out “massacres” in Gaza, as well as “ecocide crimes” including uprooting olive trees on Palestinian land.
It was set to coincide with Nakba Day, commemorating the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel.
The flags of both Israel and Palestine, as well as peace images of a dove and olive branch, were projected onto the Eiffel Tower in September, ahead of France’s recognition of the Palestinian state.
In October 2023, after Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out deadly attacks on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, the tower was lit up with the Israeli flag.
READ ALSO: DHQ Releases Details About Slain ISIS Top Leader Al-Minuki
Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed 1,221 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures compiled by AFP.
Israeli military operations carried out in retaliation have killed more than 72,700 people in the Palestinian territory, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Despite an October ceasefire, Gaza remains gripped by daily violence as Israeli strikes continue, with both the military and Hamas accusing one another of violating the truce.
