The UK government is facing a legal case over its refusal to evacuate seriously ill children from Gaza, despite similar actions being taken for young people affected by other conflicts.
The lawsuit, filed against the Foreign Office and Home Office on behalf of three critically ill children in Gaza, claims that ministers did not properly consider the lack of medical care in the region before rejecting evacuation requests.
The case also highlights that the UK’s stance contradicts its past efforts, such as evacuating children during conflicts in Bosnia and, more recently, Ukraine.
Carolin Ott, a lawyer leading the case from Leigh Day, stated that the government’s justification—citing available treatment in Gaza and visas for privately funded care—does not address the urgent medical needs of these children.
The families of the two- and five-year-old children say immediate evacuation is essential for lifesaving treatment they cannot receive in Gaza. So far, the UK has not acted as a destination for medical evacuations from the region, despite calls for a dedicated immigration pathway.
One of the children, referred to as Child Y, has a severe condition causing daily bleeding from a malformation in his cheek, leaving him in critical health. The other two, siblings known as Child S, suffer from a chronic kidney disorder that has led to organ failure; one can no longer move.
The legal action comes as the conflict in Gaza surpasses 650 days. Health officials report that over 17,000 of the 58,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since last October were children.
The World Health Organization estimates that 12,500 patients in Gaza require medical evacuation. By early April, 7,229 patients had been transferred to Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, the EU, and the US—of which 4,984 were children.
Dr. Hani Isleem, coordinating medical evacuations for Médecins Sans Frontières, said limited destination options remain a challenge, with some nations hesitant to accept patients over concerns of being seen as enabling long-term stays.
A government spokesperson said the UK has supported healthcare for over 500,000 Palestinians since the conflict began.
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