2024-01-10 17:32:41
French courses, exhibitions, meetings with authors… Until October 7, the French Institute of Gaza (IFG) brought a breath of cultural life to the Palestinian enclave. A salutary breath of fresh air in a territory under the rule of the very strict Hamas, but also a singularity, the IFG representing the only diplomatic branch in the Gaza Strip. Dependent on the Quai d’Orsay and the Ministry of Culture, this space of soft poweropened in 1982, however had to close its doors with the conflict.
On November 3, an Israeli strike targeted the building which, with the status of French territory, is conveniently located on rue Charles-de-Gaulle, in Gaza City. If no agent was then on the premises, the Quai d’Orsay requested explanations from the Hebrew State, which had the coordinates of the site. “There was a dialogue, but we are still waiting for answers”specifies a diplomatic source.
France, after October 7, sought to evacuate IFG personnel. So far, around fifteen of its Palestinian employees have left Gaza with the support of the French authorities, or 60 people if we include their families. “We treated the members of the staff of the French Institute like French people, some had worked for us for twenty or thirty years, we could not leave them there”, insists a diplomatic source. In other words, like French nationals, Palestinian agents of the IFG were able to leave accompanied by their minor children and their spouse.
Seventy-two hours to leave Egypt
Leaving Gaza involves receiving several authorizations: those from Israel, Hamas but also from Egypt, where the evacuees are initially transferred. They then have seventy-two hours to leave Egyptian territory, most often via Cairo, located more than five hours away. Of the 172 people evacuated since October 7, 163 chose France. Around fifty are French.
Although no employee died in the IFG premises, France notably deplored the death of one of them, Ahmed Abou Shamla, on December 16, three days after the bombing of the house where he had found refuge in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. “Our colleague had worked for France since 2002”, regretted the Quai d’Orsay in a press release. Part of his family was able to leave Gaza and reach France under the system described above. Ahmed Abou Shamla could also claim evacuation.
However, four of his children, adults, could not benefit from it, their father chose to stay with them in Gaza. The latter were finally evacuated at the end of December and are today in France. Once again, Paris demanded explanations from Israel. “We are awaiting complete answers and are working at all levels of the French State”indicates a diplomatic source.
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