Paris: France's National Court of Asylum has ruled that Palestinian nationals from Gaza who are not under the United Nations protection may be granted refugee status under the 1951 Geneva Convention, citing the conduct of Israeli military operations in the enclave.

According to Anadolu Agency, the court's decision was made on July 11, 2025, and allows Palestinian nationals from the Gaza Strip who are outside the UN's protection framework to be granted refugee status. The court cited the methods of warfare used by Israeli forces since the end of a ceasefire in March 2025 as a basis for their ruling.

The ruling came in response to an application for international protection by a woman and her minor son from northern Gaza. Initially granted subsidiary protection, they were later awarded full refugee status under the Geneva Convention.

Previously, only Palestinians covered by the UNRWA mandate could be considered for refugee status in France under specific conditions. This new decision marks a first, allowing Gazans outside that framework to gain such status, setting a significant precedent.

The court explained that Israeli forces exert considerable control over Gaza, and the warfare methods employed cause widespread harm to civilians, destroy vital infrastructure, and worsen the humanitarian crisis, amounting to acts of persecution.

The court's statement highlighted that refugee status was granted to the mother and son on the grounds of a well-founded fear of personal persecution by the Israeli armed forces controlling significant parts of the territory.