Gaza: France evacuates forty Palestinians

France has successfully evacuated 44 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in an operation conducted on August 24. The group included individuals facing threats, such as scientists and artists, alongside scholarship holders supported by the French government. This complex operation highlights France's commitment to assisting vulnerable individuals caught in the conflict zone.

A French diplomatic source confirmed the evacuation, stating that the group comprised scholarship recipients from the French government and laureates of the PAUSE program. The PAUSE program, established in 2017 by the prestigious Collège de France, is designed to provide emergency support and refuge for threatened scientists and artists worldwide.

France has been actively involved in evacuations since the conflict escalated following the October 7, 2023, attacks. The country has prioritized the safety of its own citizens, their families, French Institute staff in Gaza, and individuals participating in French excellence programs. The source emphasized the extreme complexity of these evacuation operations.

Earlier this year, in January, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had noted the suspension of new applications for the PAUSE program from Gaza residents due to logistical challenges. At that time, 50 Palestinian laureates and their families had already been welcomed into France. However, a legal challenge was filed in early July by about twenty Palestinians and several associations with the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court. They urged the government to resume processing applications from Gaza residents and to reconsider visa requests. The court's decision on this matter is still pending, and lawyers for the applicants stated that 73 PAUSE program laureates remain in Gaza.