Keir Starmer is set to launch a programme that will allow seriously ill and injured children from Gaza to be brought to Britain for NHS treatment, with an official announcement expected within weeks.
Under the new initiative, ministers will provide publicly funded medical care for children in urgent need. Earlier this year, the charity Project Pure Hope facilitated the arrival of three children from Gaza to the UK for treatment through a privately run scheme.
A government spokesperson confirmed the plans, stating: “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.”
According to Unicef, over 50,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza since the conflict between Hamas and Israel escalated in October 2023. Labour leader Keir Starmer recently said the UK was “urgently accelerating” its efforts to bring wounded children over for treatment.
The new government-led effort will run alongside Project Pure Hope’s operations, which have already resulted in successful evacuations for medical care.
Among the children helped by the charity is 15-year-old Majd al-Shagnobi, who was the first child from Gaza to be transferred to the UK for treatment of war injuries. He suffered devastating facial injuries when an Israeli tank shell struck while he was trying to reach humanitarian aid in February last year. Majd is undergoing complex reconstructive surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital, with his care funded by the charity and medical staff volunteering their time.
Mounting pressure has played a role in the government’s move. More than 100 MPs recently signed a letter, organised by Labour MP Stella Creasy, urging ministers to bring 30 critically ill children from Gaza to the UK for treatment.
A recent report by the foreign affairs select committee criticised the government for initially refusing to coordinate a medical evacuation effort, which would involve securing travel and medical documentation, and arranging safe passage for children needing urgent care unavailable in Gaza.