96 MPs warned that children in the war-torn territory are facing “imminent death” unless immediate steps are taken…reports Asian lite News
A cross-party coalition of MPs has demanded urgent action from the UK government to evacuate sick and injured children from Gaza and bring them to Britain for life-saving medical treatment.
In a letter sent to senior ministers this week, 96 MPs warned that children in the war-torn territory are facing “imminent death” unless immediate steps are taken. They urged the government to remove barriers to evacuation and to set out a clear timeline for transfers, alongside adequate funding to support their care.
The plea comes amid mounting international concern over Gaza’s collapsed healthcare system, which MPs described as “decimated” after nearly two years of war. According to UNICEF, more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured since Israel launched its military campaign in response to Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault on southern Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken hostage.
While Israel insists its operations target Hamas fighters and not civilians, humanitarian agencies and UN-backed experts say the blockade of food, water, fuel and medical supplies has created catastrophic conditions. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
On Tuesday, “The Elders” – an international group of former world leaders – went further, calling the situation an “unfolding genocide” and accusing Israel of weaponising famine against civilians. Israel has rejected such claims, saying Hamas bears full responsibility for the suffering of the population.
The MPs’ letter, coordinated by Labour MP and GP Dr Simon Opher, highlighted the destruction of essential infrastructure and said the scale of deprivation had produced a humanitarian emergency of “horrific proportion.” It was addressed to the Health Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
The group said they are working with medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to help accelerate evacuations. They stressed that children with trauma injuries or serious medical conditions must be transferred on the basis of clinical need alone, without regard to political, reputational or financial considerations.
The MPs also argued that biometric visa requirements, which the Home Office had previously insisted would be completed before travel, were impractical in Gaza’s conditions and must not delay departures. They urged ministers to ensure families accompanying the children would be permitted to claim asylum or resettle in the UK once treatment concluded.
Earlier this month, ministers confirmed that plans to bring seriously ill or injured children from Gaza to Britain were being progressed “at pace.” A government spokesperson said that evacuations are being coordinated through a cross-party taskforce and stressed that Britain is prepared to offer specialist treatment where regional facilities cannot provide adequate care.
“We are accelerating plans to evacuate 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,” the spokesperson said.
While no official figure has been announced, it is estimated that several hundred children could be brought to the UK. The government has already funded treatment for injured Gazans in hospitals across the Middle East, worked with Jordan on aid airdrops, and pressed Israel to allow greater humanitarian access by land.
Medical experts say that time is critical. Liz Harding, Executive Director of MSF UK, welcomed the MPs’ intervention and called on the government to act swiftly. “The UK must urgently act on its commitment by creating a dedicated, publicly funded pathway based on clinical need, not bureaucracy,” she told the BBC. “Every delay costs lives.” She also pressed ministers to waive biometric requirements, warning that administrative hurdles risk making evacuation impossible.
Several other countries have already established medical evacuation programmes. Italy has transferred more than 180 people, including many children, since the war began. Yet the fragility of those patients underscores the urgency. On Saturday, Italian authorities confirmed that 20-year-old Gazan woman Marah Abu Zuhri, who was flown to Pisa for treatment last week, had died two days after arrival. Severely malnourished, she could not be stabilised despite immediate hospitalisation.
Campaigners say her death is a stark warning of what awaits others without rapid intervention. MPs have now urged the UK to move faster, insisting that Britain’s humanitarian obligations cannot be compromised by red tape.
“Children are dying every day in Gaza,” their letter concluded. “The UK has the resources and the expertise to save lives. It must act without delay.”
