Foreign Secretary announces Gaza support with child medical evacuations and UK university places for Palestinians

The United Kingdom will support Gazan students to take up places at British universities and will continue efforts to evacuate critically ill children from Gaza for treatment in the NHS, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced on 24 June, per the FCDO.

Per the announcement, high-achieving Gazan students holding fully funded scholarships — including Chevening scholars — will be assisted to study in the UK, with more than 100 fully funded scholarship students already supported in the current academic year and eligible dependants of some students covered under the Immigration Rules. "Talented young people from across Gaza must not be denied their chance to study because of the horrendous conditions," Cooper said.

On the medical track, the announcement commits to new evacuations of critically ill children, accompanied by immediate family members, for specialist NHS care; in 2025, 50 sick and injured children were supported to leave Gaza for treatment, with the UK coordinating with the World Health Organization to identify patients and match them to specialist provision. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called education "a lifeline" that "restores hope, unlocks potential, and builds foundations for the future", per the release.

The FCDO notes that all arrivals undergo security checks and provide biometric information before travel, and that exact timelines remain uncertain given the complexity of the situation on the ground.