UK must bring in sick and injured children from Gaza 'without delay', MPs demand
In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the MPs warn the health system in Gaza has been "decimated" and that conditions in the territory are "worsening by the minute".
More than 50,000 children are estimated to have been killed or injured in Gaza since October 2023, according to Unicef.
With "essential infrastructure destroyed" and a long-running blockade by Israel of food, water and medical supplies, they say the population now faces a "medical and humanitarian catastrophe of horrific proportion".
Citing World Health Organisation estimates, the letter warns 14,800 Palestinians are "in urgent need of medical evacuation - including children at immediate risk of death from trauma injuries and severe pre-existing conditions, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.".
"Given this grave reality, we urge the government to launch the medical evacuation scheme without delay".
The letter, co-ordinated by Labour MP and GP, Dr Simon Opher, welcomes the government "finally prioritising" the issue but calls on senior ministers to "recognise the real urgency around medical evacuations".
The group make six key demands of ministers while a scheme is developed:
Timeline: MPs ask ministers to confirm the planned timeline for a medical evacuation scheme for Palestinian children. "This should be done in close coordination with the WHO and civil society organisations, with all eligible evacuees and their accompanying family members expedited as a matter of urgency," they add.
Medical needs first: " The prioritisation of medical evacuations from Gaza must be determined solely based on clinical necessity and individual case assessment, without regard to financial implications, political considerations or reputational interests," the letter says.
Funding: "Large-scale evacuations cannot rely on private donations or diversion of aid from other conflict responses," MPs say. "We urge you to ensure adequate government funding for medical treatment, psychosocial support, housing and other essential costs."
Family unification: The 96 MPs say it is "vital" that children are accompanied by parents, close family members or another appropriate caregiver. "There is clear medical evidence to suggest their presence can positively impact the recovery of sick or injured children," they add.
Legal status of evacuees: Ministers are asked to clarify the legal status of evacuees upon their arrival in the UK and following completion of medical treatment, including any rights to remain and pathways to settlement."We would urge that children and their families are given the option of applying for asylum, humanitarian protection or the chance to resettle in the UK. Evacuees must not be returned to Gaza," the MPs say.
Biometrics:"The requirement for biometrics as a prerequisite to issue visas remains a major barrier, given that the only authorised biometrics centre in Gaza closed in October 2023," the groups warns. "We urge you to waive biometric requirements for evacuees under this scheme and permit applications to be completed after departure from Gaza."
ITV News has contacted the government for comment on the MPs demands.
Ministers have already started working on plans to evacuate up to 300 seriously ill or injured children from Gaza for NHS treatment in the UK.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in late June that the government was 'urgently accelerating' efforts to bring children over for treatment.
Two weeks ago a government spokesperson said: 'We are taking forward plans to evacuate more children from Gaza who require urgent medical care, including bringing them to the UK for specialist treatment where that is the best option for their care.
'We are working at pace to do so as quickly as possible, with further details to be set out in due course.'
Scottish First Minister John Swinney welcomed the move to fly up to 300 children from Gaza but criticised the Westminster government for not taking action sooner.
'We have been consistently clear that the suffering being inflicted on the people of Gaza is beyond any justification.'People in Gaza are being bombed and left to starve by Israel on a massive scale. I wrote to the Prime Minister on 9 July to request support from the UK government in meeting the call from Unicef to provide medical care for children from Gaza.'If the UK government is prepared to evacuate Palestinians for medical treatment it would be entirely welcome.My only regret is the UK government has taken this long to act."
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