Gaza Kids Arrive in UK for Urgent NHS Care

By Staff, Agencies

The first group of children from Gaza have arrived in the UK for specialist life-saving treatment on the NHS, the Guardian understands.

Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, informed the parliamentary Labour party on Monday evening about the development.

On arrival in the UK, the patients and their families have been granted access to NHS treatment, appropriate housing and comprehensive support services for an initial two-year period.

They are the first children to be brought to the UK for treatment as part of a government operation being coordinated by the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care.

Between 30 and 50 young Palestinians are expected to be treated, while two critically ill children and their families arrived in Scotland for treatment, according to Holyrood.

Cooper told the Mirror newspaper it took significant diplomatic effort to help people leave Gaza, adding she’s committed to supporting injured families and ensuring students can start courses this autumn.

Neil Gray, the Scottish health secretary, said the Scottish government had committed to supporting the treatment of up to 20 Palestinian youngsters who are expected to arrive in Scotland in the coming weeks.

Gray, the SNP MSP for Airdrie & Shotts, said the initial support is a small step toward restoring humanity to the catastrophic situation in Gaza caused by the "Israeli" occupation's actions.

Gray said the Scottish government is coordinating with health boards and local authorities to ensure patients and their families have housing and essential support.

Downing Street is also working to evacuate students with places to study at British universities.

Some Palestinian children have been brought privately to the UK for medical treatment through an initiative by Project Pure Hope, a humanitarian initiative founded by a group of senior doctors and healthcare leaders.

Since famine was declared in Gaza City on 22 August, at least 142 have have succumbed to hunger, while over 50,000 children have been martyred or injured by "Israeli" occupation forces since 7 October, according to UNICEF.