Student in Gaza unable to reach UK before start of term ‘refuses to give up'

Independent

4 days ago

A student trapped in Gaza who has been awarded a place at a UK university said she 'lost access to education overnight' but refuses to 'give up'.
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'.
During the early months of the war, Ms Qeshta said her family home was 'completely destroyed' and they have been 'forcibly displaced' 11 times since.
They are currently living in a tent in Al-Mawasi.
Of life in Gaza, she told PA it was a 'living nightmare' and that children were searching for 'water and bread, not toys or books'.
'Prices are unimaginably high, and basic essentials like flour, rice, or canned goods are almost non-existent,' she said.
'True hunger is not just a feeling, it's a daily reality.
'Medicines and healthcare are either unavailable or unaffordable, and the sick often go without help.'
She said: 'There's no sense of routine, just survival.'
'Children in Gaza no longer know what childhood means,' she said.
'The war has stolen their laughter, their innocence, and their dreams.
'They search for water and bread, not toys or books.
'They are dying not because of illness or because they are hungry, but simply because they are children of Gaza.'
One of 'the most terrifying moments' the family experienced was in Al-Mawasi when 'shelling began without warning' as they were gathering their belongings, Ms Qeshta said.
'My brother was injured, and my sister's young children were paralysed with fear.
'We were caught between life and death, fleeing under fire.'
On another occasion, bullets pierced the family's tent as they were preparing a meal in a moment of 'terror' she will never forget, the student said.
'But through all this darkness, we hold onto hope – hope that we can survive, rebuild, and one day live in peace,' she added.
'Hope that we can still pursue our dreams like any other young people in this world.
'We refuse to give up.
'Even when everything is stripped away from us, we cling to our humanity, to our stories, and to the belief that our voices still matter.'
As pressure mounts on the UK Government to take further action to help end the conflict, Sir Keir Starmer announced this week that the country could take the step of recognising a Palestinian state in September ahead of a gathering at the UN.
The UK would refrain from doing so if Israel allows more aid into Gaza, stops annexing land in the West Bank, agrees to a ceasefire, and signs up to a long-term peace process over the next two months.
Although this is an 'important step', recognition 'should not be used as a bargaining tool' but as a 'moral and political obligation', Ms Qeshta said of the announcement.
'We have seen many promises before,'
'What matters most now is action.'
She added: 'I hope this move is real and followed by real change on the ground, because words alone cannot save lives. '
The student urged the international community not to 'turn away' from the suffering in Gaza and to push for an 'immediate end' to the conflict.
'We are not numbers,' she said.
'We are people, and we want to live.'
Campaigners are reportedly calling on the Government to grant students with scholarships a biometrics deferral and assist them in finding a safe route to a third country where they can complete their visa application before travelling to the UK.
Of this group, a Government spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the students and are considering the request for support.'
Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed, who is campaigning on this issue, said: 'Gaza's education system, like so much else, has been all but obliterated.
'Schools have become overcrowded shelters, every university has been reduced to rubble, and educators have been deliberately targeted and killed.'
The Sheffield Central MP added: 'Ireland, France and Belgium have acted to ensure their students can reach safety, the UK has not.
'This is not hypothetical, some of these students have already been killed while waiting and others remain in constant danger.
'I'm pressing ministers to address this as soon as possible, as every minute increases the likelihood that more young lives will be lost.'
The University of Bristol said they were unable to discuss individual cases and the University of Manchester has been contacted for comment.