France helped evacuate 115 people from Gaza this week

More than 100 Palestinians evacuated from the war-torn Gaza Strip by France on Wednesday have arrived in France, the French Foreign Ministry announces in a press briefing.

“For the past 18 months, France has been working to ensure the safety of its nationals and their dependents, the staff of the French Institute in Gaza and their families, as well as Palestinian figures with ties to our country,” the spokesperson says.

“Among those evacuated are many children who can finally reunite with their families residing in France,” the spokesperson goes on, adding that this evacuation follows a previous one of 59 people on April 16.

“This operation reflects our commitment to protecting our nationals and their dependents; all the evacuees were selected based on their connection to France,” says the official.

A French official told The Times of Israel on Wednesday that the Gazans were evacuated for health and humanitarian reasons.

“France reaffirms its commitment to the right of Gazans to return to the enclave,” the statement continues, saying that France “reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population from Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law and a major destabilizing factor for our close partners, Egypt and Jordan, as well as for the entire region.”

It adds that “such actions would also undermine diplomatic prospects for resolving the conflict, which must involve the implementation of the two-state solution.”

The statement says France will advocate for this at the upcoming June conference on the establishment of a Palestinian state, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“France reiterates its call for full and unhindered humanitarian access to allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip for the benefit of the civilian population, as well as for the resumption of negotiations toward a ceasefire,” the statement concludes.

Israel has made approval of evacuations from Gaza easier in recent weeks, The Times of Israel has learned.