Two critically ill children from Gaza arrive in Scotland for treatment as UK begins evacuations

Two critically ill children and their families have arrived in Scotland from Gaza to receive medical treatment, Scotland's Health Secretary Neil Gray said, as the UK government begins evacuating sick and injured Palestinians from the enclave.

Gray said the Scottish government had committed to supporting the treatment of up to 20 Palestinian youngsters expected to arrive in Scotland in the coming weeks. He confirmed the first two patients and their families were now in Scotland and being prepared to receive care from local health services.

The evacuations are part of a UK government operation coordinated by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Home Office and the Department of Health. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed on Sunday that ill and injured children had been evacuated from Gaza, though she did not disclose the size of the initial group; BBC News understands the first cohort brought out contains between 30 and 50 Palestinian children.

Some children from Gaza have previously been brought privately to the UK for treatment through initiatives such as Project Pure Hope. Until this operation, the UK government had not evacuated children through its own scheme during the conflict.

Gray said Scotland had been pressing the UK government to do more and welcomed the coordinated effort that delivered the first group to safety. "No-one should have to suffer the deep trauma and horrendous conditions these children and their families have been living in, and it is right that Scotland welcomes these children and their families," he said. "This initial support is a small step towards restoring some humanity to the catastrophic situation in Gaza as a result of the Israeli government's actions."

He added that health boards and local authorities were working together to ensure the children receive specialist care and that their families have accommodation and other essential support. "This is a sensitive process - clearly these child arrivals from Gaza will have complex care needs and their safety and wellbeing are our top priority," Gray said. He also said the families would be afforded privacy and that no further personal details about the patients would be released.

The movement of patients and students follows a worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. UN-backed global food security experts declared a famine in Gaza City on Aug. 22. Since that declaration, Gaza's health ministry has reported at least 142 deaths from starvation and malnutrition across the territory. Earlier in the year, the World Health Organization said Israel's offensive had stretched Gaza's health system "beyond breaking point."

Israel has said it is expanding efforts to facilitate aid deliveries and has disputed the health ministry's figures on malnutrition-related deaths. The Israeli military launched its campaign in Gaza after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. Gaza's health ministry reports that at least 64,803 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the territory since the offensive began.

UK officials said the government is also working to evacuate Gazan students who hold places at British universities. Scottish ministers and local health services said they would continue to co-operate with UK agencies and non-governmental groups to receive and treat children with complex medical and psychosocial needs as more transfers are arranged.