Hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza have issued an urgent appeal to Egypt and international organisations, calling for immediate intervention to lift the travel restrictions that have prevented them from continuing their studies abroad for over 16 months. Their plea follows the closure and destruction of the Rafah border crossing by Israeli forces, effectively trapping them in the besieged enclave.

Noor Abu Kmeil, the coordinator for the stranded students, warned that without urgent action, many risk losing their academic futures entirely. "We are deprived of our basic right to education due to movement restrictions, forcing us to miss an entire academic year. Now, we are at risk of losing another, jeopardising our future and wasting years of dedication and excellence," she said.

The students have called on human rights groups, international organisations, and the global media to highlight their plight and pressure decision-makers to find immediate solutions. With the new academic semester already underway, they stress the urgency of facilitating their departure before it is too late.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza deepens. Since October 2023, Israeli military assaults—backed by the United States—have left around 160,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority women and children, with over 14,000 still missing. The blockade on education and freedom of movement further compounds the suffering, leaving an entire generation’s future hanging in the balance.