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'Dreams disappear' as Gaza students await evacuation to Italy
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Disasters & Emergencies

'Dreams disappear' as Gaza students await evacuation to Italy

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Dozens of Gaza students awarded scholarships to Italian universities remain stranded due to bureaucratic delays.
  • Over 200 students have successfully enrolled via a government program, but around 50 are still awaiting evacuation clearance.
  • Students and NGOs cite complex operational contexts and foreign authority decisions as reasons for the hold-up, while Italian authorities state the timing is outside their direct control.

Dozens of qualified Gaza students are caught in a precarious situation, awaiting evacuation to Italy for university studies amidst ongoing conflict and bureaucratic hurdles.

long waiting period, the uncertainty about the travel date, and the fear of losing an educational opportunity obtained after great effort

— Male student still waiting in GazaThe student describes the emotional and psychological toll of the delayed evacuation.

While Italy's "IUPALS" program has successfully evacuated 246 scholarship recipients since September 2025, a group of approximately 50 students has been left behind since June 1. These students, who met the same academic requirements as those already in Italy, face the destruction of higher education institutions in their homeland and the constant threat of the deadly conflict zone.

One male student, who asked to remain anonymous, described the experience as a "long waiting period" filled with uncertainty and the "fear of losing an educational opportunity obtained after great effort." Non-governmental organizations, like Fiori daikaisi Cannoni, are urging Italian authorities to accelerate the process, with founder Anna Giada Altomare stating, "It is the state that should accelerate the process."

It is the state that should accelerate the process

— Anna Giada AltomareThe founder of Fiori dai Cannoni charity urges Italian authorities to expedite the evacuation process.

The Italian foreign ministry acknowledged the "extremely complex operational context" and stated that the timing of evacuations "falls outside the remit of Italian authorities." They indicated that such decisions depend primarily on "authorisations of relevant foreign authorities," while the Israeli foreign ministry had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

an extremely complex operational context

— Italian foreign ministryThe ministry describes the challenging environment in which evacuations are being managed.

For students like Nada Abunada and Mohamed Arafat, who are now studying in Rome, the evacuation was a lifeline. They described the war's impact on their education, with Abunada noting, "Everything that I had been planning for disappeared," and Arefat adding, "We were focused on surviving." Their evacuation came with little notice, highlighting the precariousness of their situation and the emotional toll of leaving loved ones behind.

falls outside the remit of Italian authorities

— Italian foreign ministryThe ministry explains that the timing of evacuations is not solely determined by Italian authorities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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