Azerbaijan evacuates Palestinian students from Gaza under education grant program PHOTO

Azerbaijan has successfully evacuated 14 Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip as part of its Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant program. The students had previously been awarded scholarships to pursue higher education at Azerbaijani universities.

The evacuation operation began on September 17 and was orchestrated by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry in close coordination with several Azerbaijani diplomatic missions and foreign authorities, Caliber.Az reports, citing the ministry.

According to the ministry, 10 of the students arrived this morning at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, with the remaining four expected to land in the coming hours. The evacuation was facilitated through land routes from Gaza to Jordan, followed by an organized flight from Amman to Baku.

The operation was made possible through the direct engagement of Azerbaijan’s embassies in Israel and Jordan, as well as the active support of the country's representative office in Palestine. The ministry noted that extensive negotiations and agreements with the relevant authorities in Israel and Jordan were instrumental in enabling the students’ safe passage.

Upon arrival, the students were received by representatives of Azerbaijani higher education institutions, with logistical support provided by the Ministry of Science and Education. They have been accommodated in university dormitories as they prepare to begin their studies.

The students had been selected under the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grant program based on nominations submitted by the State of Palestine—with eight students admitted in 2024 and an additional six in 2025. However, due to the escalating conflict and deteriorating security situation in Gaza, those admitted in the previous year were unable to travel to Azerbaijan.

In response to appeals from the students and Palestinian authorities, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry began working in May 2025 to coordinate a safe evacuation.

By Vafa Guliyeva