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Khaled Al-Mudallal, a student from the University of Bradford, UK, is one of many caught up in the restrictions. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Israel closed Gaza's borders four months ago and there is no freedom of movement in or out of the area. A permit from the Israeli foreign ministry is required and many students have been unable to get them in time for the start of the university year. Last month, Israel gave permission for four bus-loads of students to leave but many more are stranded, Gisha has said. Israel halted the shuttle service after the cabinet designated the Gaza Strip "hostile territory" on September 19. Some students stand to lose their places for the entire year, as well as their scholarships, if they do not arrive to their campuses immediately. Khaled al-Mudallal is one of hundreds of Palestinian students who are currently unable to leave Gaza to begin the new academic year. Reuters said the 22-year-old returned to Gaza half way through his 3-year business management course at Bradford University, UK, to get married and escort his new wife home. However, a week after he arrived, fighting between Islamist group Hamas and rival faction Fatah erupted. Hamas seized control of the coastal territory and Israel shut the one border crossing that remained open. The ‘Let Khaled Study Campaign’ insists that on the 15th October the Israeli government said that Khaled had chosen not to leave Gaza - a claim rejected by both Gisha and himself. Gisha, who have taken legal action on Khaled’s behalf in the Israeli courts, have highlighted that Khaled has in fact made every effort to be allowed to leave via the Nitzana crossing. Higher educational opportunities in the Gaza Strip are extremely limited. According to Gisha, undergraduate and master's degrees are unavailable in key subjects such as occupational therapy, medicine, speech therapy, dentistry and physiotherapy. There are no doctoral programs in any subject. Gaza Strip students are also prohibited from studying in Israel or the West Bank. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals: - 1. To the Israeli Embassy calling on Israel to allow Khaled and all other students to leave Gaza immediately to continue with their courses.
APPEALS TO: Embassy of Israel 2 Palace Green London W8 4QB Email: info-assist@london.mfa.il Telephone: 02079579500 Fax: 02079579555 PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO:
Jonathan Travis Programme Officer, Network for Education and Academic Rights 90 London Road, SE1 9LN London, UK Fax: 0044(0) 207 021 0881 jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org'>jonathan.travis@nearinternational.org URGENT
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