UK to Host 40 Students from Gaza at British Universities

The British government has announced it will welcome around 40 students from Gaza to study at universities across the United Kingdom under a scholarship initiative.

The program is designed to help young people from the war-torn enclave continue their education, with some beginning their first year of master’s studies.

According to the BBC, several of the students will arrive through a scheme funded by the Labor government, while others will be supported by private scholarships.

Before travelling, all students must secure Israeli government approval to leave Gaza, followed by identity checks in a third country, as confirmed by the UK Home Office.

The initiative comes at a time of strained relations between Britain and Israel, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s pledge to recognize the State of Palestine in September. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the plan, saying it amounted to rewarding Hamas.

The conflict in Gaza erupted after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.

Since then, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have left at least 62,819 people dead, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures the United Nations has described as credible.