France has suspended all evacuations from Gaza following an antisemitism controversy involving a Palestinian student recently admitted to the country.
The move comes after it was revealed that Nour Atallah, a 25-year-old woman from Gaza, had posted antisemitic content on social media before being accepted into a prestigious French university.
France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the decision in Paris on Thursday.
“She must leave the country. She does not have a place in France,” Mr Barrot said in an interview with the radio station France Info, without naming the student.
He did not specify whether the student would be sent back to Gaza.
He added that no new visas will be issued, and no new admissions from Gaza will take place, until an investigation has been conducted.
The French and Israeli vetting of Ms Atallah before she arrived in France did not reveal the “antisemitic and unacceptable” posts, Mr Barrot said.
The temporary suspension of evacuations will also see a review of all Gaza evacuees who have arrived in France so far. The scandal has triggered strong condemnation across France’s political spectrum.
Ms Atallah, who had been awarded a scholarship to study at Sciences Po Lille, faces expulsion from France after the university withdrew her accreditation.
Her social media posts, containing antisemitic rhetoric and praising Adolf Hitler, surfaced recently. French authorities say a criminal investigation has been opened on the grounds that the posts could be seen as “justifying terrorism and crimes against humanity”.
French interior minister Bruno Retailleau wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he has requested legal action be taken.
“Hamas propagandists have no place in our country,” he added.
Since October, France has evacuated more than 500 people from Gaza, including children, journalists and artists, as part of its ongoing humanitarian efforts. This incident has invited renewed scrutiny of the vetting procedures coordinated with the Israeli authorities.
A statement from Sciences Po Lille said the content of the student’s social media posts was “in direct contradiction” to its values.
“(Sciences Po Lille) fights against all forms of racism, antisemitism, and discrimination, as well as against any type of call to hatred, against any population whatsoever,” the university said on X on Wednesday.
The French government has not said when evacuations might resume, promising a thorough review and strengthened protocols before any further admissions from Gaza will be considered.
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