Before Israel's onslaught on Gaza, 19-year-old Layan Abdul-Rahman was ambitious. She spoke English fluently and was getting ready to take the next step toward her future.
However, her studies were stalled by the violence, delaying her university applications by two years.
Now, she has the opportunity to apply online, while grappling with the trauma of losing her father and several family members in Israeli attacks.
“She is mentally exhausted and constantly cries. They have now scheduled an online application next week, but she still cannot believe it. Every day, she comes to me asking, 'Am I really going to apply?'” her sister, Israa, 33, told Middle East Eye.
On Monday, 2.58 million Israeli students returned to their classrooms to begin the new school year. Of these, 180,600 are starting first grade, while 149,000 are entering twelfth grade, their final year of school.
