A 22-year-old from al-Bureij Refugee Camp
In 2018, after I graduated from high school, I planned to study dentistry, but I had to give it up because it was too expensive. Instead, I studied biotechnology at the Islamic University in Gaza. My sister, Rawan (25), and I studied at the same time for part of the time. I graduated not long ago, two years after her, and then my other sister, Dima (19), also started studying. School expenses are a very heavy burden for our parents.
During school, the power outages made it very difficult for me, and I kept having to improvise and use flashlights. At the university, we couldn’t do a lot of the lab experiments that are part of the curriculum because the Israeli army forbade the entry of some of the materials.
I realized, while still at school, that graduates have no jobs, and some of them were demanding employment assistance from the Ministry of Labor. I dearly hoped to find work in my field when I graduated, but in the two months since, I haven’t found anything. There is a huge shortage of jobs here, and the economic situation in the Strip is only getting worse.
Like anyone, I’ve had many dreams since I was little. But unfortunately, if you live in Gaza, you can’t make your dreams come true. If only the blockade were lifted. I dream of getting to know the landscapes I learned about in school, of being able to pray in al-Aqsa and of visiting Jerusalem. For now, I only get to see these places on TV. Just like other people, we also want to go on vacation without the obstacles posed by the Israeli occupation. I’m 22 years old already, and I’ve still never left the Strip.
As a biotechnology program graduate, I trained with the Marine Treasures division of the Ministry of Agriculture. I thought I’d be able to work with the team of experts there, but unfortunately, it didn’t pan out and stayed a dream. When I was there, I learned about the obstacles the Israeli occupation puts in the path of Gaza’s fishermen. It was scary hearing what goes on at sea, about Israel’s warships that surprise fishermen at sea and detain them. Gaza’s marine space is so small that everything is so close, and sometimes, you can see shots being fired from these ships at the fishermen. It’s our sea, and we have the right to enjoy it, but the Israeli occupation won’t let us and shoots anyone who crosses the border they set in the water.
The Israeli occupation is so cruel. It does everything to thwart our dreams. I keep dreaming that one day, we’ll get access to the sea so we can sail to other places to find work or even just for a vacation. Sometimes, I stand on the beach, look at the big sea and dream big dreams. I dream of living in peace and stability like in other countries of the world, of the blockade being lifted, of Gaza not being attacked, of being able to live a normal life, without the occupation and this terrible despair.
* Testimony given to B'Tselem Field Researcher Olfat al-Kurd on 11 September 2022.