Gazan Students Appeal to Russia's Lavrov Over Blocked Return to Studies

Hundreds of Arab students from Gaza, who were studying in Russian universities before October 2023, have been unable to resume their education for three years. According to a report in the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, citing 20-year-old Said Alashi, these students traveled to Gaza for the summer and have been unable to return due to subsequent events.

The article does not specify the exact obstacles preventing their departure. A journalist notes that simply buying a ticket to Moscow is insufficient, as Israeli and Jordanian authorities must permit organized group travel, but a coordinated corridor for these students has not yet been established. The report does not detail where this coordination is stalled, which authorities were approached, or what responses were received.

Israel reportedly places no obstacles on Gazans leaving, apart from security checks for suspected involvement in hostilities or the October 7th massacre. Jordan, however, has a stricter policy, coordinated with the Palestinian Authority, blocking the departure of ordinary Palestinians without foreign citizenship or special status, which does not include student status.

The article focuses on a letter sent by 120 "students from Gaza" to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The students, currently in Gaza, are awaiting a humanitarian corridor agreement with Jordan and Israel to allow their travel. They state that no Palestinian student from Gaza has been able to cross the border to study in Russia since 2023, emphasizing they are not seeking new quotas but seeking to exercise their earned right to study. The letter expresses faith that "great Russia will not abandon its students in need."