Sick and injured children from Gaza to be evacuated to UK for NHS care
Plans are being drawn up to evacuate more seriously ill children from Gaza for NHS treatment.
Top ministers are understood to be working on a scheme to bring sick children to the UK for free medical care, with plans expected to be unveiled within weeks.
More than 50,000 children have been killed or injured in the conflict since October 7 2023 according to the UN charity Unicef. It comes after furious Bob Geldof issued a desperate plea on Sky News to save babies in Gaza.
Only three kids have been granted medical visas to come to Britain for treatment so far through work by the group Project Pure Hope, which was set up by volunteer medical professionals.
Earlier this year, Ghena, 5, and Rama, 12, came to the UK via Egypt for privately-funded treatment for serious health conditions unrelated to the conflict.
Rama, who has a lifelong bowel condition, was able to get surgery in Britain that was unavailable in her home of Khan Younis, in war-torn Gaza.
Ghena had laser surgery to relieve fluid pressing against her optic nerve, which could have cost her her sight in her left eye.
Last week, 15-year-old Majd Alshagnobi was flown to Britain for facial reconstructive surgery after an Israeli tank shell destroyed his jaw while he was seeking aid in February 2024.
Keir Starmer promised Mirror readers last month that he would act to help more sick and injured Palestinian children, saying the public were 'sickened' by scenes of desperation and starvation in Gaza.
The PM said at the time: "We are urgently accelerating efforts to evacuate children from Gaza who need critical medical assistance – bringing more Palestinian children to the UK for specialist medical treatment."
It is unclear how many children would be covered by the new scheme but it is understood ministers are looking to significantly increase numbers.
Each child would be accompanied by a parent or guardian and siblings if necessary, according to the Sunday Times. The Home Office will carry out biometric and security checks before they travel.
In 2022, 21 Ukrainian children were brought to the UK to get cancer treatment on the NHS.
More than 100 MPs signed a letter urging the Government to fast-track the scheme to help children from Gaza.
The letter, coordinated by Labour MP Stella Creasy, said: 'Parliament may be in recess but the commitment we all share to help these children remains absolute and urgent – with every day, more are harmed or die, making the need to overcome any barriers to increasing the support we give them imperative.
'We stand ready to support whatever it takes to make this happen and ask for your urgent response to this request. Let's make it happen.'
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."
The UK and Jordan are working together to airdrop aid into Gaza after Israel temporarily paused military activity amid international outrage at widespread starvation and malnutrition.
Mr Starmer said last week that the UK would recognise a Palestinian state in September if Israel did not change course.
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