In the summer of 2023, Lana Haroun was among the top students in Gaza who passed her tawjihi, the Palestinian secondary school certificate exam. Shortly afterwards, she enrolled as a first-year English translation student at Gaza's prestigious Al-Azhar University.

"I worked really hard and achieved what I dreamed of. I got the top ranks in Palestine. I was so proud," Haroun told DW, in a voice message from her home in Gaza.

But then war broke out in Gaza, after Hamas-led militants attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Haroun's hopes and dreams, like those of thousands of young people in Gaza, were destroyed.

Over the past 11 months, she and her family have been displaced from their home in central Gaza to Rafah amid heavy fighting, and then back to Gaza's central area. "The faculty of translation is now being reduced to rubble and so are my dreams," she said.

Haroun's top marks in high school meant she may have had opportunities to study abroad — had she been allowed to leave Gaza. Israel and Egypt have tightly controlled movement in and out of the Hamas-ruled territory for 17 years, even before the latest war.

"I choose to study at a local university to stay close to my family because for me, the sense of safety and stability was crucial for success," she said. "That sense of safety I am talking about has shattered, totally."

The devastation has had dire consequences for the territory's youth and their future, especially in a society where education is so important, as it gives students a chance to leave Gaza with a scholarship. Almost 40% of Gaza's population is 14 years old or younger, and the median age in 2020 was 18, making Gaza one of the world's youngest populations.

In early September, the school year started officially in some countries across the region — but not in Gaza.

At least 45,000 6-year-olds won't be starting classes any time soon, according to UNICEF. And roughly 625,000 youth registered for school will be........

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