Approximately 300 French-speaking writers, including Nobel laureates Annie Ernaux and Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, have publicly condemned the violence in Gaza as 'genocide' in an open letter published in a French newspaper.

They expressed their urgent demand for an immediate ceasefire in light of the ongoing conflict.

In the letter, the authors asserted that it was essential to categorize the crimes committed against civilians since the October 7 attacks as war crimes and crimes against humanity, and they now believe the situation in Gaza warrants the label of genocide.

This call for action has garnered attention amidst a backdrop of increasing accusations against Israel from various international bodies, including the United Nations, human rights organizations, and several nations, regarding its military actions in Gaza.

The call from these writers included demands for sanctions against Israel and emphasized the necessity of measures that guarantee both security and justice for Palestinians.

They also advocated for the release of Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, aiming to put an end to what they described as genocide.

Notable signatories of the letter include prominent authors who recently received the prestigious Prix Goncourt, such as Hervé Le Tellier, Jérôme Ferrari, Laurent Gaudé, Brigitte Giraud, Leïla Slimani, Lydie Salvayre, Mohamed Mbougar Sar and Nicolas Mathieu.

The term 'genocide' has been vehemently rejected by Israeli officials; however, it continues to incite division among observers of the ongoing conflict.

The writers asserted that their terminology is not merely a slogan, dismissing calls for vague expressions of sympathy without properly addressing the nature of the suffering currently unfolding in the region.