By André Rhoden-Paul

Copyright bbc

On Monday, two critically ill children and their families arrived in Scotland.

More children are expected to arrive in the coming weeks as part of the government operation organised by the Foreign Office, Home Office and Department of Health.

Officials said the children and their immediate family had been evacuated from Gaza to Jordan, where they were supported by British Embassy staff as they underwent security checks before their arrival in the UK.

Some Gazan children were previously brought privately to the UK for medical treatment through an initiative by Project Pure Hope, but the government until now had not evacuated any through its own scheme during the conflict.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the healthcare system in Gaza had been “decimated and hospitals are no longer functioning” with severely ill children “unable to get the medical care they need to survive.”

She called for the protection of medical infrastructure and health workers in Gaza, as well as a huge increase in medicines and supplies to be allowed in.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Every child deserves the chance to heal, to play, to simply be able to dream again. These young patients have witnessed horrors no child should ever see, but this marks the start of their journey towards recovery.

“This reflects the very best of our NHS values – compassion, care and expertise when it matters most.”