Trapped in Gaza but we haven't given up on our university dream

TWO sisters trapped in Gaza, including one with a place at the University of Bristol, have said they haven't given up on their dreams of studying in the UK.

- Rosie SHEAD

Dalya Ibrahim Shehada Qeshta was studying pharmacy at Al-Azhar University in Gaza while her twin sister Dalal was specialising in engineering when the campus was “completely destroyed” in the ongoing conflict, she said.

The 22-year-old, from Rafah city in southern Gaza and who has family in the UK, said despite this, the pair “refused to let go of our dreams” and applied to study in the UK.

“Our university was completely destroyed, along with many of our personal belongings, and we lost access to education overnight,” she told the PA news agency.

“Like thousands of others, our lives were thrown into chaos.

“Education is not just a dream for us, it is our hope for healing, rebuilding, and having a future beyond war,” she said.

Dalya has been offered a place to study pharmacy at the University of Manchester while Dalal secured a place at the University of Bristol on an aerospace engineering course.

However, both are unable to leave Gaza as their way out is “physically blocked” by the closure of borders and crossings in the region as well as a lack of financial support, Ms Qeshta said.

Last week, the Guardian reported that a group of 40 students in Gaza are unable to take their places at UK universities in September despite being awarded full scholarships because of a Home Office requirement for biometric data for visa applications.

According to the paper, the UK-authorised biometrics centre in Gaza closed in October 2023 and it has been “impossible” for the students to travel to centres in neighbouring countries.

For Ms Qeshta, continuing her education is “key to breaking the cycle of hardship,” she said, adding that it would “change our lives for the better.”