France halts Gaza evacuations after Palestinian student sparks antisemitism row
The student, who had been enrolled at the prestigious Sciences Po university in Lille, lost her accreditation after screenshots emerged on social media allegedly showing her reposting antisemitic content, including an image of Adolf Hitler accompanied by captions appearing to incite violence against Jews. The posts, reportedly shared in September, were widely circulated by pro-Israel accounts on X (formerly Twitter).Lille's chief prosecutor told AFP a criminal probe has been opened against the student for allegedly attempting to 'justify terrorism' and 'justify a crime against humanity.' French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also intervened, demanding the student's social media account be shut down. It has since been taken offline.The student arrived in France on July 11 under a programme that awarded scholarships for 'academic excellence' and had already passed through an initial security screening, according to a French diplomatic source. However, Foreign Minister Stphane Sjourn later confirmed that 'She must leave the country,' adding that discussions were underway regarding her deportation destination.Barrot emphasised that all Palestinians previously admitted to France through the evacuation programme will now undergo a second round of screening. 'We are not suspending humanitarian support. But we must understand how such a failure in vetting occurred,' he said.Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, France has facilitated the evacuation of over 500 people from Gaza, including journalists, artists, students, and wounded children.The scandal has placed intense scrutiny on France's screening process and humanitarian intake policies amid growing political pressure and concerns about rising antisemitism.- EndsMust Watch
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