I am writing this to shine a light on the human toll inflicted on a Palestinian family living in France, as well as the silence of mainstream media and public officials. I hope readers will share this story widely. Perhaps your share will be the reason these three children are safely returned to their family.
A Palestinian family evacuated from Gaza to France says French authorities have separated three children from their parents after allegations of abuse that the family strongly denies and that courts have not substantiated with evidence. The abduction took place in cooperation with an organization that describes itself as supporting survivors of the Gaza genocide.
The case centers on three siblings — Rabhi (11), Nour (10), and Hussam al‑Din (8) — who arrived in France with their father and grandfather after fleeing Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The French Foreign Ministry facilitated their evacuation in late 2023. Their mother, Raghda al‑Sheikh, remained trapped in Gaza, hoping to reunite with them later.
A Gaza Mother Separated From Her Children
Raghda al‑Sheikh, a mother from Gaza, was separated from her children when they were evacuated to France at the beginning of the genocide. French authorities later placed the children in the care of others and restricted family contact following their separation and evacuation. “I wish they had never left,” the mother said.
Immediate Emotional Reactions
When family members are taken, the first response is often shock, disbelief, and intense fear. Parents and relatives may feel helpless, overwhelmed, and constantly searching for updates through police reports, social media, and emergency alerts. Siblings can experience confusion, guilt, and fear for their own safety.
I personally know the fear and agony this family endures daily. I lived through it in 1982 when my younger brother, Samih El‑Yousseph, was taken hostage for 18 months by Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon. I would not wish this on my worst enemy.
Children Removed After Contact With Palestinian Association
According to the children’s grandfather, Rabhi al‑Sheikh, the ordeal began after their evacuation. Women who presented themselves as pro‑Palestinian regularly spent time with the children and gained the family’s trust over several months. In July 2024, they took the children under the pretext of enrolling them in a summer camp. The children never returned.
“For a week, we had no idea where they were,” the grandfather told Quds News Network. He later discovered that the women were volunteers with a Paris‑based Palestinian association known as Palestine Nous Rassemble. He said they had never disclosed this affiliation before the incident. Shortly after taking the children, the women filed a complaint accusing the father of abuse.
No Medical or School Evidence Presented
The family firmly denies the allegations. They say no medical or school reports support claims of abuse. According to testimony presented in court, even the judge acknowledged the absence of documented evidence.
During a hearing on March 30, 2026, the children reportedly expressed a desire to reconnect with their family. Lawyers representing the father, the children, and social services all supported restoring contact. A reception center in Moristelle also recommended rebuilding family ties. Despite this, the judge extended the children’s placement in state care for another year, relying primarily on the association’s account, according to the family.
Deception and Exploitation
The grandfather described the relationship with the women as “close and familial” until the day before the children were taken. He said the association’s representative later visited him and promised to resolve the issue without police involvement, urging him not to file a complaint.
The family also says the women used the children’s names and photos to raise donations under the banner of supporting Gaza, prompting them to cut ties. Quds News Network contacted the association for comment but received no response.
Mother Trapped in Gaza Pleads for Reunion
Meanwhile, the children’s mother remains in Gaza, displaced and living in a shelter after her home was destroyed.
In statements reported by Al Jazeera Net, she said communication with her children has been nearly impossible. Ongoing bombardment, displacement, and telecommunications outages have cut most contact.
“I am very afraid for them,” she said. “I fear they will be taken from me forever.” She added that she does not know who is caring for her children or how they are being raised. She fears they may lose their language, religion, and cultural identity after nearly two years of separation.
The Al‑Sheikh family insists the case is humanitarian, not political. They are calling on French authorities, child‑rights organizations, and international actors to intervene and reunite the children with their parents. They argue that separating children from their family without clear evidence violates fundamental rights, including those protected under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
A Family Divided Between Gaza and France
According to a report published by Al Jazeera, the mother hoped to reunite with her family once her travel procedures were completed. However, that never happened, leaving her stranded in Gaza while her husband, Ahmad al‑Sheikh, and their children remained in France.
In December 2023, her father‑in‑law managed to travel to Paris, taking with him his sons and grandchildren — including the three children — and leaving the mother alone in Gaza.
On July 15, 2024, French child‑protection services removed the three children from their father and placed them in a care facility, prohibiting direct contact with the family. According to the family, the decision was based on an unsubstantiated report accusing the father of abuse.
During a court hearing on March 30, 2026, the children expressed their wish to reunite with their parents. The family’s lawyers and social services also called for restoring contact.
The mother says French authorities have prevented her from having visual contact with her children for nearly a year, restricting communication to written messages that arrive weeks later and lack details about their condition. She notes that during her last video call, she needed an interpreter because the children’s Arabic had weakened — a change that deepened her fears about the loss of their cultural identity.
Life in Gaza: A Mother’s Desperation
Raghda now lives in a shelter in Gaza City after her home in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood was bombed and all her belongings destroyed. She describes the shelter conditions as “uninhabitable,” amid ongoing displacement and instability.
The French government has made it clear to the court that it wants the three Palestinian children to assimilate into French society. The French Foreign Ministry assisted the family’s evacuation at the start of the war, in what initially appeared to be an opportunity to escape relentless bombardment.
The mother fears her children may drift away from their faith and culture or be transferred to another family. She also notes a decline in their school performance due to the lack of direct family supervision. She worries about their daily lives: Who looks after them? Who takes them to school? Who provides emotional support and a sense of security?
Raghda calls for permission to leave Gaza to join her family in France — or for her children to be returned to her. She rejects the accusations against her husband, affirming that he is a devoted and loving father who always cared deeply for their children and ensured they lived a normal life before the war. She appeals to all who can help, urging them to intervene to end her suffering and reunite her family.
Caption for additional image: France: Palestinian children, who fled Gaza Genocide, separated from parents and placed under state care. The mother says French authorities are now subjecting her three children to systematic brainwash that primarily targets their Palestinian cause.
https://x.com/doamuslims/status/2049034304378863618?s=20
Mahmoud El‑Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes on U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice. Email: elyousseph6@yahoo.com
