Gaza students wait for Italy evacuation despite scholarships

About 50 Gaza students with scholarships to Italian universities are still waiting for clearance to leave the territory, non-governmental organisations say, despite Italy having evacuated 246 scholarship recipients since September 2025.

Italy's foreign ministry said 246 scholarship recipients from Gaza were flown to Italy and San Marino between September 2025 and June through the IUPALS programme for Palestinian students. But Anna Giada Altomare, founder of the Fiori dai Cannoni charity that helps accepted students, said there have been no evacuations since June 1.

Altomare cited conflicting rules and a lack of transparency. She said the Italian state should accelerate the process.

One male student in Gaza, who was awarded a scholarship to study computer engineering in October 2025 and asked not to be named, described uncertainty over travel dates and fear of losing an opportunity he had worked for. He said he had tried to learn Italian despite internet outages and daily pressure during the war.

In July, Italy's university and research ministry called for greater flexibility in applying language requirements to students from conflict zones. Students who remain in Gaza say bureaucratic problems and confusing evacuation criteria continue.

Some students already reached Italy. Nada Abunada and Mohamed Arafat began economics studies at Rome's Sapienza University in November 2025 after leaving Gaza. Arafat said he was alerted to his evacuation only the day before by Italy's consulate in Jerusalem.

Other students face additional barriers. A pre-med graduate said she was accepted to an Italian master's programme without a scholarship but was later told by the Italian consulate that students without scholarships would not be evacuated. Altomare said students with private Italian sponsors were also not being evacuated.

The Italian foreign ministry, the ministry for universities and research, and the Israeli foreign ministry did not immediately respond to AFP questions about the evacuation delays.