France resumes Gaza evacuations after pause over antisemitic posts

France has resumed evacuations from Gaza, with 20 people arriving last weekend, diplomatic sources said Tuesday, months after Paris suspended the operation over a student evacuee allegedly sharing antisemitic posts.

The move comes after France in August froze its program to receive Palestinians from conflict-torn Gaza, following the launch of an investigation into how a student accused of sharing antisemitic posts was allowed into the country.

Twenty people arrived in France on Sunday, fewer than expected due to the complexity of such operations, diplomatic sources told AFP on condition of anonymity, without specifying how many more are expected.

"These operations are carried out under extremely difficult conditions on the ground and involve very high risks for both the evacuees and the people operating the convoys," the sources said.

France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the war between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel started in October 2023, including wounded children, journalists, students and artists.

Evacuations were halted after a 25-year-old Gazan student, due to start studying in France as part of a government scholarship program, was accused in late July of having previously shared social media posts calling for the killing of Jews.

She was ordered to leave the country.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal came into effect in Gaza earlier this month.

The diplomatic sources told AFP the evacuees were undergoing thorough screening before their arrival in France.

"We are scrupulously ensuring that those evacuated to our country respect the values and principles of the republic," the sources said.

Further evacuations were expected to be carried out "as soon as conditions allow", they added.