Israel killed our dreams, but its genocide could not defeat us

Israel killed our dreams, but its genocide could not defeat us I had just begun my third year studying English translation at university when the war started. The onslaught turned my life upside down - it erased colours, shattered dreams, and broke my spirit. University education - the centre of my life and ambition - stopped. Gaza itself came to a standstill amid unprecedented destruction. Like all families in Gaza, my family and I have suffered greatly during this war. Two years of genocide robbed us of our health and sense of stability. We were forced to flee 10 times, moving from northern Gaza to Khan Younis in the south, then to Rafah, then to Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. After more than a year, we returned to Gaza City, only to be displaced again to Khan Younis eight months after our return. Our home was badly damaged; we are now forced to live in it, with tarpaulins instead of walls. In the summer of 2024, universities reopened but only for online learning. I registered, not because I still believed I could achieve my dream of being a teaching assistant, but because I wanted to finish what I had started. I completed my third year - the year that was supposed to shape me as a future lecturer - from inside a tent, using unstable internet. In February, my final year began. A few months later, famine hit us. My health started to deteriorate due to the lack of food, the displacement, and the constant fear of bombing. I lost nearly 15kg in a sudden, unhealthy bout of weight loss. My body became frail, and I was constantly dizzy due to the lack of food. At some point, we had just one meal in the middle of the day, one that was hardly enough to feed a baby. I could see my collarbones becoming more prominent as the famine worsened. I also began to notice the severe weight loss of my family members, especially my mother. There were moments when I felt that we were on the brink of losing her. I became afraid to stay awake past 8pm, fearing the hunger I constantly felt. Despite all the hardship, I decided not to let the war break me. I kept reminding myself that Gaza is the land of everything, and that what matters is the “now”. One night, I decided to start my own project - if I couldn’t light minds with knowledge, I could light phones - or charge them. I shared with my family the idea of starting a small phone-charging project using a small solar panel, and they fully supported me. The next morning, I wrote on a piece of paper: “Phone Charging Point” and hung it outside our tent, and my career as a phone-charging business owner began. I made numbered cards and attached them to each phone to ensure none got lost. My days became filled with voices calling out, “Shahed, how’s phone number 7?”...

Preview: ~500 words