Gaza scholars await UK evacuation to pursue studies

While the students in the United Kingdom are guaranteed their university places, Mahmud took the news that he was waiting to sleep in a shelter in the center of Gaza.

The 27 -year -old doctor, who received a prestigious scholarship to conduct a master’s degree in global health policy at the London School of Economics, had finished a night shift that treats trauma patients in a field hospital. Instead of waiting for the results of the exam, he was worried about whether he could leave Gaza to start his course.

“I was very happy to be very emotional and scholarship to BBC News.” “He gave me energy to keep working. But often I avoided talking about it because of uncertainty.”

Mahmoud is one of the nine students in Gaza this week from the British government to facilitate evacuation. If it were successful, they would have left the lane for education in England since the war began.

Development has been campaigning for months by politicians, academics and others on behalf of more than 80 Palestinian students with offers from UK universities, including full -funded scholarships this year.

Chevening Scholars like Mahmoud – buyers of an extremely competitive UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs – They were asked to confirm whether they wanted to be released and whether they provided approximately places in Gaza. Other students have not been contacted so far.

“This is a positive step. It has kept me hopeful and optimistic about release in the coming weeks. However, the message does not give any guarantee,” he says.

Originally from Beit Lahia in Northern Gaza, Mahmud said he dreamed of reading in England from a young age.

When the war broke out, he volunteered at the plastic and reconstructive surgery unit at the Al-Shifa Hospital before working on temporary wards in Gaza. He hopes that one day his degree will help the region reconstruct the fragile health system.

“Life has never been so easy,” he says. “I have seen that he has suffered beyond his imagination in the last two years. I stood by the families in the most difficult moments, while they’re all trying to keep the hope alive for my own future.”

Mahmud, who lives with his wife, parents and three sisters, does not know that if he is released, he cannot join him.

He says: “It will be difficult to leave my family behind to confront continuous displacement, famine, chaos and insecurity.”

Another Chevening Bilgin for 25 -year -old Mohammed was carved in memory of the day he received a working offer for a master’s degree at Glasgow University.

A friend in the UK gave a message to his brother, who hurried to a tent in which Mohammed lived and invited him to find a place to find an internet connection to control his e -mails.

“When I see the word ‘congratulations’, I froze for a moment,” he remembers. “For a moment, I felt the noise of the bombs and the noise around me disappeared, and I felt hope again.”

But like Mahmud, he finds the possibility of heartbreaking.

“It sounds like life after a lot of darkness. Finally, the chance of progress. But this joy suffers.

“My family is still here, alive, but constantly living in danger and leaving them behind will be the most painful decision of my life,” he said. Radio 4’s world tonight.

Mohammed, which stems from examining the epidemiology of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistors, says he feels the obligation to use to benefit from their education to leave behind.

“This opportunity is not an escape. For them, it is a responsibility for them to work, learn and return stronger for them.” Says.

“What I have learned in Glasgow will not stay in the conference halls. It will be moved back to serve people in need.”

According to the Israeli officials, the Palestinians have not been able to leave Gaza to a great extent since October 2023, when Israel’s attack on Southern Israel and launched a military campaign where approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage.

According to the Ministry of Health, operated by Hamas of the region, more than 62,622 people have been killed in Gaza since then.

FIELLY APPROVED IN GAZZE City And the environment of a food safety organ that is not supported on Friday. The Israeli government rejected the report.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm how many students would be supported or when the evacuation will take place, and dozens of Ghazan left their students with other scholarships in Limbo.

Bi It sounds like a slow death inside, Man says Manar, an English teacher from Rafah, has been displaced 14 times during the war, and now Manar, who lives in a tent with his husband and three young daughters.

He received a plan – a Cara scholarship – a Cara scholarship for academics who have a close imprisonment, injury or death at risk of studying doctoral at the University of Glasgow.

He sent one of the grant applications from the roof of a damaged four -storey building and climbed to find enough signal. When he reached the summit, Manar said he saw gunfire or nearby shrapnel landing.

“I didn’t sleep for days,” he says. “Every day, I wonder which one will come first – a message or a missile from the United Kingdom government.

“Some scholarship owners seem to be given priority to others, I feel very disappointed with this process.”

Manar’s supervisor and Glasgow University, Professor Alison Phips on refugee integration through art and education, believes that Muhammad can be evacuated to study at the university, but other academics such as Manar should receive the same support to leave Gaza.

“These nine students have been a very difficult way for these nine students.” says. “I know they’re putting it, but I know that all the appropriate students put it evenly.

He said: “It seems that there was some kind of bureaucratic block and it would really help us if he could determine what the government was, so all the students who meet the thresholds could emerge.”

A British government spokesman said Chevening Scholars’ “safe exit and supporting travel to England”.

It is also understood that the government also considering the application of appeal for the support of other Gazan students who have places in the UK universities, although no decision has been announced.

Mahmud, who is preparing more late at night working in the hospital, emphasizes that the uncertainty remains for him, while he is much larger for those who have not been released yet.

“If the British government does not take action now, not only us, but also from Gaza and other regions that face similar challenges.”