Today, 72 Palestinian university students from Gaza crossed the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing. They will arrive in Italy as part of the "university corridors" initiative promoted by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to study at Italian universities.
The Farnesina reported this in a statement, recalling that after completing visa and pass procedures, the convoy will reach the Allenby crossing into Jordan, with an expected arrival in Amman in the evening.
Of the 72 students who left Gaza today , 70 are headed to Italy and 2 to the Republic of San Marino. The students will be hosted overnight at the Italian Hospital in Amman. They will return to Rome tomorrow and Milan on Wednesday.
"With this new university corridor," Tajani stated, "we continue to offer young Palestinians a concrete opportunity for a future, education, and security. Italy reaffirms its humanitarian commitment to the civilian population of Gaza and its support for the right to education, even in the dramatic context of the Strip."
Students will be accepted at 21 Italian universities, including the University of Milan, the Universities of Sassari and Cagliari , the Alma Mater University of Bologna, La Sapienza and Tor Vergata in Rome, the University of Calabria, Bocconi University in Milan, the Universities of Parma, Trieste, Palermo, Foggia, Pavia, Camerino, and Naples Federico II. Two students are also headed to the University of San Marino.
Today's operation brings the number of students evacuated from Gaza since September 2025 thanks to Italy's efforts to 229: 157 students had already been transferred in the four operations carried out between September and December last year, in addition to the 72 students who left the Strip today.
The operations are coordinated by the Farnesina with the embassies in Tel Aviv and Amman and the Consulate General in Jerusalem, in coordination with the Jordanian and Israeli authorities. They are part of the "IUPALS" (Italian Universities for Palestinian Students) program, promoted by the Conference of Italian University Rectors in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Universities and Research.
