The first group of 26 young Palestinians from Gaza have arrived in Ireland to begin a new life as students in Irish universities.
They are the first group of what will be 52 Palestinians overall, with the remainder to arrive in the coming days.
In what has been a complex and sensitive operation, which involved securing permission to leave Gaza and transit through Israel from the Israeli authorities, as well as entry permission from Jordan, the students got the green light in messages sent to their phones on Tuesday.
They had all applied and been accepted by Irish universities, but whether or not they would make it to Ireland has been certain at no point.
The students, who come from different parts of Gaza, travelled via Amman in Jordan and Istanbul in Turkey.
The first 26 students were to be brought directly to a facility for medical support and screening after touching down in Dublin Airport this afternoon.
They will then be met by university representatives who will bring them to accommodation that has been arranged.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Harris said the rest of the students will arrive in Ireland tomorrow and on Sunday.
"People are coming from a warzone; they’re coming from an area where there is genocidal activity," he said on RTÉ's News At One.
"Our first and immediate priority will be to transfer them to a medical facility for screening, for treatment."
Mr Harris added: "We’ll also be trying to address serious issues that will have arisen as a result of malnutrition.
"This is a small, practical step that the Irish people can take to show solidarity and help young people in Palestine."
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The Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Further and Higher Education, and a number of universities have all been working over the summer months to get the students out of Gaza.
On Monday, the students received a message they will have been hoping for for some time.
"Ireland is still working to secure the necessary approvals for you to depart Gaza. While there might be a possibility of departure on Wednesday 27 August, this is not yet confirmed," it stated.
"You may be asked to move at short notice, but we will make every effort to ensure you have adequate time to reach Deir Al Balah before sunset on Tuesday. For those located in Gaza City or Northern Gaza, for safety reasons please do not move south towards Deir Al Balah until we have confirmed that you will be departing."
The message went on to give detailed directions and safety advice. For those coming from Northern Gaza to the central meeting point it advised that they should travel on foot only; "The IDF have been clear that they will target vehicles that they see approaching the Netzarim Corridor on this coastal road", it said.
"The Israeli authorities have advised that the following personal luggage is permitted" it continued, outlining one small soft handbag, personal documentation, medication and a mobile phone and charger.
"Gold and electronic devices (including laptops) are not permitted, and will be confiscated during security inspection", the message read.
On Tuesday morning a second message of confirmation arrived. This was the green light for the students.
RTÉ News has been in contact with one of the students over the past number of weeks. Asem Al Jerjawi will study journalism in Ireland. He has been working as a journalist in Gaza, documenting the impact of the Israeli onslaught on the people of Gaza.
Many nights I could not sleep not only because of the bombs, explosions and jets but because I am hungry. I am thinking 'I want to eat'
Looking gaunt and exhausted on video calls, Asem, who is in his 20s described how he was working to try to secure accommodation for his family who expect to shortly be obliged to leave their already half destroyed apartment in northern Gaza. He was hoping to avoid tented accommodation with no sanitation because of his elderly grandmother.
He briefly showed me a destroyed wall of his apartment over which fabric had been draped and a battery they use to charge phones and provide some limited lighting. He sent a photo of the makeshift wood stove, made from a tin container, that the family are using to cook on.
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Asem says that he has lost 20 kilos and described upsetting scenes of encountering dead body parts. But he said what haunted him most was the image of a bare chested 14-year-old boy wandering on the street and simply telling strangers "I am hungry".
"Life is now hunger", he said. "Starvation is not just a word. It is pain. Many nights I could not sleep not only because of the bombs, explosions and jets but because I am hungry. I am thinking 'I want to eat'."
The complex operation has involved coordinated action by a number of Irish universities including; SETU, TCD, UCD, UL and Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, University of Galway, Maynooth University, ATU, RCSI, TU Dublin and DCU.
A Trinity College spokesperson said: "We are extremely relieved that they have been able to leave Gaza safely.
"This has been an incredibly collaborative sectoral effort working closely and positively with multiple government departments."
Mr Harris said his department will have supported "more than 200 people to leave Gaza and travel to Ireland since the outset of this crisis".
"Such travel is obviously dependent on receiving permission from various authorities in the region and sometimes this assistance is not possible for that reason," he said.
"But I am pleased we are able to make a difference for these students on this occasion and I wish them well with their studies in Ireland."
Before he left Gaza, Asem told me that he had conflicting feelings. "I feel relief and hope that I might be safe, but also sadness and fear for my family and my community who must stay behind".
