Forty-one French citizens died during or after the attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, which will go down in history as the largest massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust. Forty-one out of approximately 1,140 victims: That makes France the foreign country most affected by the attack on Israeli soil, ahead of Thailand (mainly workers employed in farming communities), the United States, and Ukraine. Not since the explosion of a UTA DC-10 over Niger in 1989 has France lost so many citizens to an attack outside its borders. Who were these 41 dead? What was their story? Why were they in Israel? What was their connection with France? Did they have dual nationality? Was it a choice or the legacy of a family history? There are so many questions. Unfortunately, it's impossible to answer them exhaustively, as the list remains secret.

"It's quite incredible," said Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, in mid-November. "We've heard a few names here and there. But we're a long way from knowing them all." The Elysée Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuse to disclose the list. The Israeli embassy in France referred to the French embassy in Israel, which was scarcely more forthcoming. Some families are unwilling to see the names of their loved ones published, and the French authorities are reluctant to communicate on their behalf. The national tribute will revive this delicate subject.

The date has not yet been set for the ceremony in memory of the French victims, but it is planned to take place in front of the monument to the victims of terrorism behind the Hôtel des Invalides, in Paris. There is consensus for the tribute promised by President Emmanuel Macron on October 26, after calls from Jewish organizations, several political leaders and even former French president François Hollande. Macron said on December 7 that the indecision was caused not by "hesitation or fumbling," but only by caution linked to the "concern" about the French citizens who remain unaccounted for. The fact that some citizens are presumed to be held hostage is just one more reason not to make public a list of victims presented as definitive public. On Friday, December 15, news of the death of Eliya Toledano, kidnapped by Hamas and whose body was found in the Gaza Strip, justified these precautions. The morbid countdown may not be over.

The French National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office is also waiting for the list. On October 12, it opened a preliminary investigation for "murder and attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise" and "conspiracy to kidnap persons in connection with a terrorist enterprise." Twenty-one complaints have already been lodged by several lawyers representing victims' families, and more are expected. In Israel, the identification of the mutilated and burned bodies is continuing, and is now entrusted to archaeologists, among other experts, charged with examining teeth and bone fragments.

You have 90% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.