The stevedores at the port in Fos-sur-Mer outside Marseille have refused to load crates of links used to assist the rapid fire of bullets aboard the cargo vessel, the CGT trade union said.

Links are small metal pieces, used to connect machine gun bullets and allow rapid bursts of fire. There has been concern in media and among rights groups that they have likely been used against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The CGT said the move made clear its refusal to "participate in the ongoing genocide orchestrated by the Israeli government." Leading rights groups, including Amnesty International, have accused Israel of committing genocide in its military campaign, a charge vehemently rejected by the Israeli government.