Date of Creation: August 2, 2025
France has abruptly suspended their humanitarian evacuation program for Gazan refugees following news that a 25-year-old scholarship student from Gaza posted explicitly antisemitic material online, such as posting images of Adolf Hitler and incitements to genocide, on social media platforms like Twitter. This move has come under intense scrutiny and RFI, i24NEWS and India Today reported it.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot made an announcement via Franceinfo: No evacuation will take place until we have drawn our conclusions from our investigation.” All Gazan evacuees already admitted will undergo secondary screening as France investigates how each student passed initial vetting.
Jerusalem Post
i24NEWS | India Today
Nour Atallah had been accepted into Sciences Po Lille via a government scholarship for academic excellence recommended by the French consulate in Jerusalem, arriving in France on July 11. Screenshots circulated by pro-Israel social media accounts showed her reposting anti-Jewish content including praise for Hitler and incitements to violence – France 24’s news channel is reported as having posted it as well as I24NEWS +7 and ynetnews +7 accounts showing this behavior by Atallah in September 2018.
Sciences Po Lille responded by revoking Atallah’s accreditation, citing her posts as being in direct opposition with their values. Simultaneously, the regional prosecutor in Lille initiated a criminal investigation alleging she “justified terrorism” and committed “crimes against humanity”. Atallah is expected to be deported; according to Le Monde.fr (in French) and The Times of Israel she will likely face deportation proceedings.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau issued a public statement condemning Hamas propagandists and demanding they cease spreading propaganda against Israel, prompting student’s social media account to go offline – it has since gone dark. I24NEWS/Ynetnews will publish coverage of Retailleau’s comments in India Today today (Tuesday, July 3).
France’s evacuation program had allowed for the safe transportation of over 500 individuals from Gaza since Israel-Hamas hostilities resumed in October 2023, including students, wounded children, journalists and artists. Now however, a scandal has cast serious doubt upon both its integrity and effectiveness as security checks were compromised during that process. France 24 @ Le Monde.fr @ India Today
Opposition figures have expressed harsh condemnation of France’s suspension. Socialist spokesperson Arthur Delaporte expressed on social media his outrage that France is no longer honoring its moral and humanitarian responsibilities by ending this program; other critics including Rassemblement National have attacked its vetting process, suggesting any antisemitic content would have likely been identified within minutes of review.
Le Monde reported that Barrot assured Gazan evacuees that humanitarian assistance would continue, with accountability measures in place for how a student was allowed past security filters; adding that temporarily suspending aid is necessary to restore trust between France and Gaza. I24NEWS and The Times of Israel each published reports regarding this news story.
As part of the investigation, all Gazan evacuees will undergo closer scrutiny. This incident has incited further national debate about asylum policy, refugee screening processes and balancing humanitarian responsibility with security threats–particularly amid mounting antisemitism and global tensions surrounding Gaza’s war.
What Happens Next? France carries out an in-depth evaluation of their evacuation procedures and security protocols, to assess if they need updating.
Secondary screenings will continue for those already evacuated.
Deportation of the student will take place pending investigation results.
As political pressures increase, continued diplomatic and humanitarian engagement remains contentious.
France’s response demonstrates the difficulty of reconciling moral obligations and political accountability during an inflamed regional conflict. It comes during a time of mounting disinformation, antisemitism and refugee flows affecting Europe– raising troubling questions regarding trust, oversight and public policy moving forward.