The first group of children from Gaza has arrived in the UK to receive urgent, life-saving treatment on the NHS, report reveals.
Foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper confirmed the development to Labour MPs on Monday evening, saying the children and their families had been granted access to NHS care, housing, and support services for an initial two-year period.
The initiative is part of a government operation coordinated by the Foreign Office, Home Office, and Department of Health. Between 30 and 50 young Palestinians are expected to receive specialist treatment in the UK, including two critically ill children who have already been taken to Scotland with their families.
Speaking to the media, Cooper said the evacuation had required a lot of diplomatic work but stressed her determination to help. “We can do our bit to support injured families and to help students get into their courses this autumn,” she said.
Scotland has pledged to support up to 20 Palestinian children in the coming weeks. Neil Gray, the Scottish health secretary, said: “This initial support is a small step towards restoring some humanity to the catastrophic situation in Gaza.”
He added that health boards and local authorities were preparing accommodation and essential support for the families.
Alongside the medical evacuations, Downing Street is working to help Palestinian students with places at British universities. Separately, humanitarian initiative Project Pure Hope, led by senior doctors, has also privately arranged treatment for some children in the UK.
The crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. UN-backed experts declared a famine in Gaza City on 22 August, with the local health ministry reporting at least 142 deaths from starvation and malnutrition. UNICEF estimates that more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since Israel’s military response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks.
