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France is halting all evacuations of Gazans fleeing the war-torn enclave amid growing outrage over a Palestinian student allegedly reposting antisemitic content on her social media.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told France Info radio that the woman “must leave the country” and that she “has no place” in France.
“No evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn the necessary conclusions from this investigation,” Barrot said in the interview. He also vowed there would be a probe into how the Palestinian woman was able to get a student visa.
A man holds a placard reading “Free Palestine” during a demonstration at the Place de la Republique in Paris, France June 9, 2025. (REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo)
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also expressed outrage over the incident, writing on X, “Hamas propagandists have no place in our country.”
The now-expelled Sciences Po Lille student, who has not been identified by the French government, is accused of sharing a post with an image of Adolf Hitler that called for killing Jews.
According to a screenshot shared by the Jerusalem Post, the caption of the Hitler image—when translated by Grok from Arabic to English — read: “Kill the Jews everywhere. I don’t want a Jewish lineage on this earth. You must kill them before they kill you.”
A woman holds a placard reading “We march against antisemitism” during a demonstration against antisemitism, organised by the two heads of the French Parliament, as a surge in anti-Semitic offences increased in France, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Paris, France, on Nov. 12, 2023. (REUTERS/Claudia Greco)
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In a thread on X, Sciences Po Lille said its administration became aware of the student’s posts due to a report by Radio Monte-Carlo (RMC). The school condemned the posts, saying the content is in “direct contradiction with the values upheld by Sciences Po Lille.” It added that the institution rejects antisemitism, discrimination, and incitement to hatred.
“France has no obligation to host international students who glorify terrorism, crimes against humanity, or antisemitism,” French Minister of Higher Education Philippe Baptiste wrote. “Whether they come from Gaza or elsewhere, international students who express or relay such views have no place in our country, nor on our soil.”
Baptiste also vowed that the French government would “do everything necessary to ensure that the case of the Palestinian student admitted to Sciences Po Lille, who shared extremely serious comments on social media, is handled with the utmost firmness.”
A demonstrator uses a megaphone during a protest in support of Palestinians, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Paris, France, July 31, 2025. (REUTERS/Tom Nicholson)
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French President Emmanuel Macron, who recently drew the ire of the U.S. and Israel over a plan to recognize a Palestinian state, has yet to comment on the matter regarding the student.
According to Macron’s plan, Paris will recognize a Palestinian state in September. The country appeared to lay the groundwork for this at the United Nations earlier this week as it co-chaired a conference with Saudi Arabia. During the conference, several nations signed the “New York Declaration,” which calls for Hamas to disarm and surrender control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. The declaration also demands that Israel evacuate its forces from the Strip.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, co-chairs of a United Nations high-level international conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to work towards a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, listen to a question during a press briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York City, July 28, 2025. (REUTERS/Kylie Cooper)
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The U.S. objected to the conference before it began, with State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce calling it “unproductive and ill-timed.” She also dismissed it as a “publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.”
“As Secretary Rubio has made clear, this effort is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th and a reward for terrorism. It keeps hostages trapped in tunnels,” Bruce said. “The United States will not participate in this insult but will continue to lead real-world efforts to end the fighting and deliver a permanent peace. Our focus remains on serious diplomacy: not stage-managed conferences designed to manufacture the appearance of relevance.”
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Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon also objected to the conference.
“Israel has already agreed many times to a ceasefire. No token recognition and no UN resolution will change the basic fact that there are those in the world who fight terrorists and extremist forces and then there are those who turn a blind eye to them or resort to appeasement,” Danon said in a statement.