A PARLIAMENTARY session in Westminster has called on the British government to urgently issue medical visas for injured children from Gaza, enabling them to receive life-saving treatment amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave.
The session, organised by the Association of the Palestinian Community in the UK (APC-UK) and hosted by the Independent Parliamentary Group, highlighted the dire conditions facing Gaza’s children.
Chaired by the head of the Political Affairs Committee of the Palestinian community in the UK, the event featured prominent speakers, including the Director of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, the head of the Palestinian community in the UK, and a senior campaigner from the anti-poverty organisation War on Want.
Said Shehadeh, Director of the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, expressed profound frustration with the British government’s lack of action on facilitating visas for Gaza’s injured children.
He affirmed his organisation’s readiness to fund the initiative entirely if the government allowed the children entry.
‘The Palestinian community is deeply concerned by what appears to be discrimination against Gaza’s children simply because they are Palestinian,’ he said, warning that further delays could result in preventable deaths.
‘Any further delay threatens the lives of children who could be saved.’
Neil Sammonds, a senior campaigner with War on Want, underscored the humanitarian urgency of the issue, emphasising the necessity for immediate intervention.
‘This is a matter of saving lives, and it requires swift and decisive action,’ he remarked.
Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, acknowledged some progress by the British government but argued that it fell far short of what is required.
‘More must be done for Gaza and Palestine,’ he said, urging the UK to take meaningful steps to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.
Criticism was levelled at the British government for failing to fulfil its humanitarian responsibilities, with calls for immediate action to alleviate the suffering.
The session concluded with a unified demand for the British government to establish a visa plan specifically for medical aid, prioritising injured children from Gaza.
This plan would ensure that children requiring urgent treatment are provided with the care they need to survive and rebuild their futures.
The Palestinian community and its supporters pledged financial and logistical backing to implement the initiative, contingent on the government’s approval.
