The students left Gaza through the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing, were transferred to Jordan and hosted at the Italian Hospital in Amman before flying to Italy. Fifty-nine arrived in Rome on Tuesday, with the remainder heading to Milan on Wednesday.
They will enroll at 21 Italian universities and the University of San Marino under the "IUPALS" program, promoted by the Conference of Italian University Rectors in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of University and Research.
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani traveled to Fiumicino Airport to welcome the first arrivals. "The Foreign Ministry, together with the embassies in Tel Aviv and Amman and the Consulate General in Jerusalem, has been working on this operation for some time", he said. "It has been a complex process, but thanks to the commitment and determination of our people, we have managed to bring these young people safely to Italy and offer them an opportunity for study and for a future".
The latest evacuation is the fifth in the series. The previous four operations, conducted between September and December 2025, brought out 157 students.
Tajani said the initiative gives Palestinian students "a concrete opportunity for a future, education and safety", adding that Italy "reaffirms its humanitarian commitment to the civilian population in Gaza and its support for the right to education in such a dramatic context".
The Foreign Ministry said it is coordinating with Israeli and Jordanian authorities to carry out further evacuations in the coming months.
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Source: Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Middle East Monitor