France has announced on Monday, February 12, 2024, that it has been able to evacuate 42 people from the Gaza Strip. These individuals are either French nationals, French residents, or collaborators of the French Institute, along with their family members.
“At the request of France, 42 people were able to leave the Gaza Strip today, through the Rafah crossing point,” in Egypt, states a press release from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by AFP.
This announcement comes just days after the death of a French teacher who had been working with the French Institute in Gaza for twenty years. He passed away due to illness as a result of the “catastrophic health conditions” in the area, according to diplomatic sources. The ministry emphasizes that the evacuation announced on Monday is “the result of actions taken by the French authorities at the highest level.”
During his visit to Israel, the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, had the opportunity to “emphasize the importance we place on allowing the individuals included in our evacuation plan to seek refuge in France,” he added.
The evacuated individuals were cared for on the Egyptian side by the French Embassy and the Consulate General of France in Cairo, in coordination with teams from the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
“We remain fully committed to facilitating the exit of other individuals whose situations France is monitoring in Gaza, in order to allow for their evacuation to our country,” the statement concludes. France also reminds Israel that it must take “concrete measures to protect” civilians in Gaza, and reiterates its “call for a cessation of hostilities.”
