The evacuation of 34 students follows months of campaigning by politicians, academics, and others on behalf of more than 100 Palestinian students holding offers from UK universities this year.

The group includes members of the Chevening Scholarship, a mostly government-funded scheme for international students to study a one-year master's degree in the UK.

The BBC understands a maximum of 20 children this year would come to the UK if dependents of Chevening scholars were to be allowed.

At least one exception is known to have been granted by Yvette Cooper when she was home secretary, who allowed a female Chevening scholar to bring her two-year-old child.

For Manar Al-Houbi, taking up her PhD place at Glasgow University would mean leaving her three young children and her husband behind in Gaza.

"We are a family, we are one unit, we cannot be separated", she told the BBC, speaking as a military plane flew over her tent in Khan Younis.

Ms Al-Houbi said she had completed her masters degree in the UK in 2018 "and it was one of the most difficult periods in all my life because I was separated from my family, so I decided not to repeat this experience".

As part of a crackdown on immigration, most international students are now not allowed to bring their dependents with them to the UK - but PhD students are still able to bring their families.

In Ms Al-Houbi's case, the BBC understands that while her children are eligible for a visa to come to the UK, they are not eligible to be evacuated from Gaza.

Ms Al-Houbi said she learned she would not be able to bring her children "only days before our evacuation".

She added: "It was very difficult time for me to know that I have to choose between my family and my education.

"It's impossible for me to be separated from them - I can't be separated from my husband and my children".

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