A key parliamentary session in Westminster, London, urged the British government to issue dire medical visas for children from Gaza in need of urgent treatment.

The session, organized by the Association of the Palestinian Community in the UK (APC-UK) and hosted by the Independent Parliamentary Group, called for immediate action to address the grave situation faced by Palestinian children in Gaza amid the ongoing and extensive Israeli onslaught.

The session was opened by an Independent MP and moderated by the Chair of the Political Affairs Committee of the Palestinian community in the UK. Key speakers included the Director of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, the leader of the Palestinian community in the UK, a senior campaigner from the anti-poverty charity "War on Want", and the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK.

Said Shehadeh, the Director of Palestine Children's Relief Fund, expressed his profound discontent with the UK government's aversion to providing medical visas to children severely wounded in the Israeli aggression and in need of dire medical treatment, stressing his full commitment to funding the project had the government approved their entries.

"The Palestinian community is deeply concerned by what appears to be discrimination against Gaza’s children simply because they are Palestinian... Any further delay threatens the lives of children who could be saved," he said.

In turn, Neil Sammonds, a senior campaigner for the UK-based charity War on Want, highlighted the humanitarian urgency of the issue and called for prompt action. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, acknowledged certain positive measures taken by the government but argued that these were not enough.

"More must be done for Gaza and Palestine," he asserted, urging the UK government to take stronger, more tangible measures to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Other speakers underscored the ongoing suffering of Gaza’s children, citing the relentless bombardments and lack of medical care while criticizing the British government for failing to fulfill its humanitarian responsibilities and calling for immediate action.

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The session concluded with a unified call for the UK to establish a visa program that prioritizes medical assistance for injured children from Gaza, ensuring they receive the urgent treatment necessary for their survival and well-being.

96% of Gaza children feel death is imminent, study reveals

The Israeli occupation's genocide in the Gaza Strip has rendered its healthcare system almost inaccessible, with bombardment particularly targeting hospitals and medical centers, and assassinations targeting doctors and health workers. 

Children, amid the complete destruction of their homeland and the aggression that follows them all around, have been forced to bear the brunt of "Israel's" atrocities. 

A recent study examining children enduring the war in Gaza has revealed that 96% feel their death is imminent. Nearly half express a desire to die due to the trauma they have endured, The Guardian reported.

A needs assessment, conducted by a Gaza-based NGO with support from the War Child Alliance charity, also found that 92% of surveyed children are "not accepting of reality," 79% experience nightmares, and 73% display signs of aggression.

"This report lays bare that Gaza is one of the most horrifying places in the world to be a child," said Helen Pattinson, chief executive of War Child UK.

"Alongside the leveling of hospitals, schools, and homes, a trail of psychological destruction has caused wounds unseen but no less destructive on children who hold no responsibility for this war," she added.

Conducted in June this year, the survey included responses from parents or caregivers of 504 children from families where at least one child is disabled, injured, or unaccompanied. The sample was divided between northern and southern Gaza and supplemented with detailed interviews.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli war on Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people, with the UN Human Rights Office recently reporting that 44% of verified martyrs are children.