On September 17, 34 students were evacuated from Gaza to the United Kingdom to begin their studies. Many of them had applied for their visas after I applied for mine. Yet, when I received the news of their exit, I felt joy and peace for them. They were finally safe and on their way to new beginnings. I kept my spirits up, believing that my turn would come soon. But when the next evacuation list arrived on September 29, the shock struck me with crushing force: there were 17 more names on it, but mine was not among them.

I am not the only one facing this mystery. There are at least eight other students in Gaza that I know of who received prestigious scholarships to attend UK higher education institutions many months ago, but despite meeting the eligibility criteria announced by the UK Vis

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