Gaza student leaves France after ‘death to Jews' posts row
Nour Attaalah, who arrived in France on July 11, called for the killing of Jews in posts made online in the past two years, it is claimed.
In a statement by the foreign ministry Jean-Noel Barrot, the French foreign minister, 'stressed the unacceptable nature of the comments made by Ms Attaalah, a Gazan student, before she entered French territory'.
The posts, which have since been deleted, led to a judicial investigation for condoning terrorism, and an inquiry to determine why they had not been detected in advance.
The Sciences Po Lille school said Wednesday that her social media comments had been confirmed, without elaborating.
Ossama Dahmane, the student's lawyer, said the 'alleged facts are largely based on shared tweets, taken out of context'.
But the foreign ministry said: 'Given their seriousness, Ms Attaalah could not remain on French territory. She left France today to go to Qatar to continue her studies there.'
Her lawyer said Ms Attaalah had chosen to 'pursue her studies in another country in a spirit of appeasement and to guarantee her security', even though 'she firmly denies the accusations made against her'.
The young woman, who had received a student visa and a government scholarship as part of a programme for Gaza students, had been due to join Sciences Po Lille in the autumn.
She arrived in France on July 11, according to a French diplomatic source.
Last Friday, France said it would suspend a programme receiving Palestinians from Gaza until an investigation into how the student accused was allowed into the country was concluded.
'No evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn conclusions from this investigation,' Mr Barrot told Franceinfo radio.
All Gazans who have entered France will undergo a second screening, he added.
The foreign ministry would not say how many students have been affected, citing privacy reasons.
But France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the latest war between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel started, including wounded children, journalists, students and artists.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas's October 7 2023 attack on Israel, has seen Israel retaliate with a deadly military campaign and an aid blockade in Gaza that some rights groups have qualified as 'genocide'.
Following the suspension, Arthur Delaporte, spokesman for the opposition Socialist Party, said a blanket ban was inappropriate.
'France cannot suspend its policy of welcoming evacuated Gazans: our common humanity is at stake,' he said on X.
Last Thursday, Lille's general prosecutor that a judicial probe has been opened against the student for allegedly trying to 'justify terrorism' and 'justify a crime against humanity'.
The controversy erupted shortly after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, announced France would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
Last week, Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would do the same unless Israel takes 'substantive' steps, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza.
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