Amjad Abu Daqqa was among the top students at his school in Khan Younis, excelling in math and English, and he was applying for a scholarship to study in the United States when war erupted in the Gaza Strip last October. Teachers used to reward his good grades with trips to local historical sites or to the pier, where they would watch boats and take pictures of the sunset. He dreamed of going into medicine like his big sister, Nagham, who studied dentistry in Gaza City. But his old life and old dreams now feel far away. “I feel like I am a body without a soul, and I want to feel hopeful again.”

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Persons: Amjad Abu Daqqa, Khan Younis, Nagham, ”, Amjad Locations: United States, Gaza, Gaza City, Rafah