Hala Hanina speaks with two exceptional Palestinian scholars who are trapped starving and under Israeli fire in Gaza awaiting permission to be allowed to enter the UK.

Israa Saleh and Malak AlSweirki are two of more than 80 Palestinians students in Gaza who are unable to travel to the UK because they cannot obtain biometric data required for visas as facilities there remain closed.

Israa Saleh is a medical doctor, Chevening alumna and expert in sexual and reproductive health. She was awarded a fully funded PhD by the UK’s prestigious Medical Research Council.

Malak AlSweirki, one of Gaza’s top students at just 20 years-old, chose to study at Cambridge University despite also receiving full offers from Harvard, Yale among others.

Hala Hanina is a social and political activist from Gaza. She is currently completing a PhD in politics and sociology, focusing on Palestinian women at the intersection of colonial and patriarchal violence.