Young Gazans refuse to say ‘die’... but can they get to university?

It may be news to many that amid all the devastation and destruction in Gaza, young Palestinians have not given up hope for a better future and refused to allow Israel's barbaric actions to deter them from continuing to pursue their aspirations.

Nine students from Gaza have won scholarships at prestigious British universities such as the London School of Economics and King’s College, London.

To its credit, the British government has said that it will try its best to bring them out so they can start their studies.

The students, whose scholarships are fully funded by the government, have been assured they would be helped to come to the UK in the next few weeks.

Mohamed (25) who is due to study in Glasgow said the assurance had given him “a sense of hope after so many months of uncertainty”.

Sadly, however, dozens more with university offers have been left in limbo, prompting criticism.

A cross-party group of 100 MPs, several universities and other British organisations has lobbied for help for more than 80 students with offers, including 40 who have full scholarships.

Their visas have been held up by various problems, including the lack of biometric data. The UK’s biometrics centre in Gaza closed after the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 — and there are no other suitable places to register their data in the territory.

A government spokesman said it was “considering requests for support from other students in Gaza with offers from UK universities”.

In July, the Keir Starmer administration had declared that the UK would recognise Palestine as a nation-state if Israel did not stop its ‘war on Hamas’.