At least seven Gazan artists were preparing to board a bus out of the war-torn enclave on Wednesday before heading to France as part of an ongoing evacuation programme.
But their departure was abruptly halted following a political firestorm in France over anti-Semitic posts by a Gazan student already on French soil.
The decision to pause all evacuations, announced last week by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, has thrown the lives of many hopeful evacuees into limbo, sparking outrage and despair among those trapped in Gaza in increasingly dire conditions.
"I am not responsible for any negative words or actions others may have said that might have caused the door to close in our faces," said one Gazan scheduled to land in Paris on Friday, in a message shared with The National by French anthropologist and Palestinian art expert, Marion Slitine. "Save us from this hell," said another.
The profiles of those expected to arrive this week included painters, graphic designers, videographers, and visual artists. They were all under 40 years old and scheduled to travel without their families on a student visa.
"This is collective punishment," Ms Slitine, who heads a volunteer group that helps Gazan artists - Maan for Gaza - told The National. "It's unacceptable to punish an entire people because of statements made by one person. Evacuations must start again. These people are at risk of dying."
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There are fears that others may suffer the fate of Gazan architect and artist, Ahmad Shamia, who had been scheduled to travel to France but was killed by Israeli shelling in May. At the time, his death was announced by the French foreign ministry, which shared in a statement its "strong emotion" and condolences to Mr Shamia's family.
Now, the risk of dying of starvation has increased, according to the UN. "I lost 20 kilos. I started to suffer from dizziness and constant vertigo and I lost control of my body. I am in constant decline. It is torture," one Gazan artist wrote to Ms Slitine, who asked to not share names due to the sensitive political climate in France.
Israel has recently allowed a limited amount of aid into Gaza after intense international pressure, but it is not enough, humanitarians say.
"Get us out of this hell"
It remains unclear how many Gazans in total were scheduled to arrive in France this week. The foreign ministry did not answer questions sent by The National. In the past, evacuees have also included children in need of medical care and employees of the French Institute in Gaza.
The sudden halt has devastated those who had pinned their hopes on escape. The process is lengthy and complex, involving screening by both French and Israeli authorities. Evacuees typically travel via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, then to Jordan before boarding a flight to France.
"I beg you, when is the evacuation?" another would-be-evacuee wrote. "When will you reach us before our frail bodies are carried to the grave? We are not asking for luxury - we are asking for survival. Just to get out of this hell before it closes on us forever."
The suspension follows public outroar in France caused by anti-Semitic social media posts by Nour Atallah, a Gazan student who arrived in July and was scheduled to start studying law and communication at the prestigious Sciences Po Lille University in September.
An anonymous pro-Israel account on X last week published screenshots of social media posts that she had shared echoing calls made by Hitler to exterminate Jews and also hailing Hamas air defence systems.
In response, Mr Barrot labelled her comments “unacceptable” and ordered her expulsion to Qatar. He also announced an immediate review of the selection process and the temporary suspension of all further arrivals from Gaza. No timeline has been given for the investigation.
In Gaza, the news was crushing. Leaving the enclave has become synonymous with survival as reports indicate that Israel is considering full occupation. "I'm writing to ask, with deep humility, if there's any way at all you could help us find a way to leave Gaza," one architect wrote to Ms Slitine. "I just want to protect my family and give my daughter a chance to survive this horror."
More than 61,000 Gazans have been killed in Israel's military offensive on the enclave following Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October 2023 in which around 1,200 Israelis lost their lives.
Since November 2023, France has reportedly evacuated more than 500 people, including 46 artists and researchers with their families via a state-funded programme named Pause, French media has reported.
State support for the programme was halted a few months ago, but it continues to operate thanks to volunteer groups like Maan, which raise funds and find accommodation.
