France has suspended its Gaza evacuation programme following revelations that a Gazan student admitted to a prestigious French university shared antisemitic content online. The decision halts further arrivals and triggers a full review of the vetting process after the 25-year-old woman was found to have posted pro-Hitler images and content calling for the death of Jews.
The student had arrived in France on July 11 under a scholarship for academic excellence. She was accepted to Sciences Po Lille after passing French and Israeli security checks. However, the university revoked her accreditation when pro-Israel watchdogs uncovered social media posts attributed to her. These posts reportedly included an image of Adolf Hitler and antisemitic statements. Her account was taken offline after French officials intervened.
The student is now subject to a judicial investigation for “justifying terrorism” and “justifying crimes against humanity.” French authorities confirmed she must leave the country, though her next destination has not been disclosed. Interior officials have ordered all previous Gazan arrivals to undergo a second screening process. The foreign ministry refused to release numbers on how many individuals would be affected.
France has facilitated the evacuation of over 500 Gazans since October 2023, including students, children, and journalists, following the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel and Israel’s military response. The programme was initially seen as a humanitarian gesture, but this case has exposed serious flaws in the screening process.
Government critics have accused authorities of failing to perform basic due diligence. A spokesman for the National Rally said that the offensive content could have been found in minutes. The backlash has led to bipartisan calls for more rigorous security checks in future humanitarian admissions.
Despite criticism from the Socialist opposition that halting evacuations abandons innocent lives, French officials maintain national security must come first. Sciences Po Lille stated the student’s views violated its institutional values and could not be tolerated.
