A group of between 30 and 50 critically ill and injured Palestinian children will be evacuated from Gaza to the UK for urgent medical treatment in the coming weeks, according to reports. This marks the first official government operation to transfer children from Gaza for care under the National Health Service (NHS).
The evacuation plan is being coordinated by the UK Foreign Office, Home Office, and Department of Health. The World Health Organization (WHO) will oversee the selection of children, who will travel with family members via a third country where biometric checks will be carried out.
MPs Urged Immediate Action
The decision comes after 96 cross-party MPs wrote to the government, warning that Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system put children at risk of imminent death. They urged that barriers to evacuation be lifted “without delay.”
Some Palestinian children have already reached the UK through private initiatives such as Project Pure Hope (PPH), but this is the first time the British government has launched its own medical evacuation scheme during the ongoing conflict.
Unclear Transit Details
The government has not disclosed which country the children will transit through or whether more groups will follow. Due to the difficulty of returning to Gaza, some children may enter the UK asylum system after completing treatment.
Gaza War Casualties and Aid Efforts
Since the war began in October 2023, more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza, according to UNICEF. The UK has provided funding for medical treatment in hospitals across the region and partnered with Jordan to airdrop humanitarian aid into the territory.
Children evacuated under the scheme will be treated in NHS hospitals across the UK. Earlier this month, the government confirmed that a cross-party taskforce was working “at pace” to bring children requiring urgent care to safety.
Meanwhile, Israel has maintained that aid deliveries face no restrictions, accusing the UN and other agencies of failing to distribute assistance. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims more than 60,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its offensive following the Hamas-led October 7 attack on southern Israel, which left 1,200 dead and 251 taken hostage.
