At France’s request, 42 people were able to leave the Gaza Strip today via the Rafah crossing point. This brings to more than 200 the number of people evacuated from Gaza at France’s request.

This departure was the result of initiatives taken by the French authorities at the highest level. The recent visit by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in particular was an opportunity to signal the importance we attach to ensuring that the people taken into account in our evacuation arrangements should be authorized to take refuge in France.

These French nationals, French residents or colleagues from the Institut français, together with their family members, had been receiving ongoing support since October from the French Consulate General in Jerusalem. On the Egyptian side, the French Embassy and our Consulate General in Cairo took charge of them, in conjunction with teams from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Crisis and Support Centre.

We remain fully mobilized to enable the departure of other people whose situation France is monitoring in Gaza, so that they may be evacuated to our country.

We repeat that Israel must take practical measures to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza, and reiterate our call for an end to the fighting.