LONDON
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney has criticized the UK government for acting “too late” after reports confirmed that hundreds of injured and sick children from Gaza are set to be evacuated to Britain for medical treatment.
Up to 300 children could be brought to the UK under the plan, which will reportedly be announced within weeks.
Each child will be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and siblings if necessary, with the Home Office conducting biometric and security checks ahead of travel, according to the Sunday Times.
As the Scottish newspaper The National reported, Swinney said he had called for such action nearly a month ago and expressed frustration at the delay.
“My only regret is that the UK government has taken this long to act,” he said. “I wrote to the Prime Minister on 9th July to request support from the UK Government in meeting the call from UNICEF to provide medical care for children from Gaza.”
He said the response must now be swift to save lives: “I urge the UK Government to do everything in its power to move swiftly so that lives can be saved. And Scotland will play our part.”
Swinney condemned the conditions in Gaza, describing the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe.
“We have been consistently clear that the suffering being inflicted on the people of Gaza is beyond any justification. People in Gaza are being bombed and left to starve by Israel on a massive scale,” he said.
The UK government’s plans are expected to operate in parallel with efforts by Project Pure Hope, a private group working to bring injured Gazan children to Britain for treatment.
Swinney welcomed the move, saying: “If the UK Government is prepared to evacuate Palestinians for medical treatment, it would be entirely welcome.”
The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 60,300 Palestinians. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and led to food shortages and deaths by starvation.