The gripping account of Nour AbuShammala, a 26-year-old international law student from Gaza, who has been forced to flee her home six times since October 2023, facing relentless displacement, profound loss, and the struggle to rebuild in a war-torn city.
Nour AbuShammala, a 26-year-old international law student from a prominent Gaza City family, shares her harrowing two-year ordeal since the October 2023 war. She describes being forced to flee her home six times, first from Gaza City to Khan Younis, then to a winter tent in al-Mawasi after her grandfather's house was destroyed. Subsequently, her family rented an apartment in Nuseirat for nearly a year, enduring famine. Returning to their Gaza City home in April 2025, they found it in ruins, burned and occupied by soldiers, yet Nour felt a profound sense of 'home.' As they began rebuilding, her brother Muhammad was severely injured in an airstrike, leaving him permanently disabled. Renewed evacuation orders forced another displacement back to Nuseirat before their final return to a still-damaged Gaza City. Despite constant fear, scarcity, and the visible and invisible scars of war, Nour remains determined to pursue her master's degree in international law and contribute to her community, embodying resilience amidst ongoing uncertainty and the deep pain of loss.
