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LONDON 

Dozens of British lawmakers on Monday called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to urgently introduce a visa scheme to allow Palestinians in Gaza with family in the UK to seek refuge in Britain.

A cross-party group of 67 MPs and members of the House of Lords wrote to Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper urging the creation of a "Gaza family scheme" – a program they propose be modelled on the Ukraine Family Scheme introduced after the Russia-Ukraine war began in 2022.

In a joint letter seen by Anadolu, the MPs and peers express "grave concern at the immense suffering inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza," including through Israel’s aid blockades creating famine and relentless bombing of Gaza’s population.

They wrote: "We write to express our grave concern at the immense suffering inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s shattering of the temporary ceasefire agreement, weaponization of starvation, intensifying campaign of bombardment and military assaults, and targeting of people accessing humanitarian aid, have created conditions of mass death and displacement."

The letter decries how since Oct. 7, 2023, over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, although the authors stress that the real death toll is likely "exponentially higher."

'Many of us have constituents with family members in Gaza'

The signatories draw attention to the "impossible" challenges faced by Palestinians attempting to reach the UK, including the destruction of the Visa Application Center in Gaza and the blockade of the southern Rafah crossing into Egypt.

"Palestinians in Gaza have been stripped of their most basic rights to life, food, and healthcare. Amidst this horror, many Palestinians with family members in the UK remain stranded without any safe or viable path to reunite with their loved ones in the UK," they said

"Many of us have constituents with family members in Gaza, who are desperate to reunite with their children, their husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers, siblings, cousins, nieces, and nephews – people they may never see again unless urgent action is taken."

They describe how UK-based Palestinians have “struggled to navigate the immigration system,” often finding that logistical and bureaucratic barriers have rendered family reunification virtually impossible.

"Some of us have constituents whose family members, having managed to flee Gaza to Egypt, are stuck in limbo, with no access to schools or healthcare to begin the process of rebuilding their lives."

‘Vital step in addressing UK’s responsibility towards Palestinians in Gaza’

The letter appeals to the UK’s recent history of offering sanctuary to those fleeing conflict in Ukraine, urging the government to show the same toward Palestinians.

"Palestinians in the UK – who are our constituents, parishioners and members of our community – simply want the opportunity to bring their loved ones from Gaza to safety and support their families to care for one another and try to heal. Just as the UK opened its doors to those fleeing persecution in Ukraine and Hong Kong, we believe that the same generosity should be extended to Palestinian families."

Framing the appeal as both a humanitarian and moral obligation, the signatories argued that launching a Gaza family scheme would be a meaningful demonstration of the UK’s responsibility toward the Palestinian people.

"Establishing a Gaza Family Scheme would be a vital step towards addressing the UK Government’s historical, present, and ongoing responsibility towards Palestinians in Gaza. More widely, the UK, as part of the international community, has a duty to take all necessary steps to hold Israel to account for its crimes."

Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians in a deadly onslaught in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​��

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.