24-year-old Amira al Khatib is one of the Palestinian students who is due to study in the Netherlands but remains trapped in Gaza. Now that a court has ruled that the Dutch government must make greater efforts to bring the students to the Netherlands, Al Khatib hopes to arrive in Nijmegen soon.

‘Sorry if it’s hard to hear me’, Amira al Khatib apologizes. The connection keeps cutting out. A video call is impossible; the signal is too weak. ‘I deliberately went to the top floor because the reception is best there.’

Traffic can be heard in the background as the 24-year-old speaks from her shelter in Gaza City. Half a house: part of the walls have collapsed. From the floor where she is sitting, she looks out over the remains of what was once a vibrant city.

‘I’m excited about my future. I hope to come to Nijmegen as soon as possible’, she says. In September, she hopes to begin a Master’s degree in Data Science and AI at Radboud University.

Stranded in Gaza

Al Khatib is one of two Palestinian students who received visas in January to study at Radboud University. A few weeks later, it became clear that they could not leave Gaza: their visas were waiting for them at the Dutch embassy in Jordan, but leaving the Gaza Strip was simply not an option. No one may enter or leave the territory without Israel’s permission, meaning departure is only possible with assistance from the Dutch government. In total, 47 Palestinians holding work or study visas for the Netherlands were stranded.

Three of them filed a lawsuit against the Dutch state in February to compel consular assistance. Initially, the ruling went against them. However, on appeal, the Council of State ruled that the government must assist the entire group in reaching the Netherlands. The first students have since arrived.

‘I’m hoping to be able to leave soon, the student continues. ‘A lot remains uncertain. It’s a matter of waiting. I hope I can join an evacuation to the Netherlands by the end of the month.’

‘Since then, I’ve been waiting for that one life-changing phone call’

She has been waiting for months, Al Khatib says. ‘Last October, I heard that my admission to Radboud University had been approved. I was so incredibly happy. Then in January, I learned that my visa had also been approved. But unfortunately, I still couldn’t leave. Since then, I’ve been waiting for that one life-changing phone call.’

Drone bombing

‘Life here is difficult’, she continues. ‘In the past few years, my family has endured so much; it has changed who I am. We are constantly stressed about whether there will be enough food and water. My youngest brother and my uncle were injured when a drone bombed them while they were collecting water.’

‘It turned out that my brother suffered significant nerve damage in his leg, which affected his ability to walk. He is now studying in England, and pursuing treatment to improve his mobility. In Gaza, we have no emergency aid; going to England to study was his only chance to escape. It broke my heart to send him there alone with his injury, but I was so relieved when he arrived safely.’

‘But I’m not only worried about my family. When I look at the children here outside in the streets, I worry about their future as well.’

Hopeful

Despite everything, Al Khatib remains hopeful. ‘I have to. Otherwise, how can we work toward a future? I have nothing left to lose.’

‘Many people take things like electricity and internet access for granted, while in many parts of the world they are far from guaranteed’

She hopes her studies in Nijmegen will help her build that future. ‘During my bachelor’s degree at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, I learned a great deal about computer systems. But I’ve seen that those systems are worthless when electricity and connectivity are unstable, as they are here now.’

‘Many people take things like electricity and internet access for granted, while in many parts of the world they are far from guaranteed. When my brother couldn’t receive medical care, I realized how dependent emergency services and hospitals are on these systems. I want to help change that—not only for the people of Gaza, but for people all around the world.’

Graduation

Al Khatib graduated in 2024 with a thesis on computer systems, at a time when the systems at her own university were barely functioning. ‘Being able to graduate despite the war meant so much to me’, she says. ‘During the defense of my graduation project, a drone was flying overhead.’

She desperately wanted photographs of the ceremony. ‘My family borrowed a graduation gown from someone else, but that person had graduated from a different university with its own insignia. So I wore the gown inside out. Those photographs are both a beautiful and a painful reminder of that moment.’

If all goes well, she will be in Nijmegen within a few weeks, ready to continue her academic career after a two-year interruption. She says she has had positive experiences with the support she has received from the university.

‘The faculty (Faculty of Science, eds.) has been very supportive and accommodating. Through SSH&, I have reserved a room starting in August. Until then, I can temporarily sublet another student’s room. Through an app, I’ve also already been in contact with other international students who are coming to Nijmegen.’

Leaving Gaza

‘I’m really looking forward to my time there. But I also have mixed feelings about leaving. I’ll be leaving my mother behind. My father passed away when I was young, and…’

She falls silent and quietly sobs.

‘Sorry’, she apologizes again. ‘My mother raised my brothers and me entirely on her own. And now I have to leave her behind. It’s terrible. I feel so guilty toward her. I hope I can see my mother again soon, inshallah.’

‘But I have to think about the future, both mine and my family’s’, she concludes firmly. ‘I must hold on to hope in times of crisis. I, too, have the right to a future.’