War hinders Gaza student's dreams of becoming a doctor

STORY: Abu Haddaf, who has four siblings, fled with her family from their home in Khan Younis after the outbreak of the war in Gaza. She said she went from spending most of her time studying, to now being fully consumed with finding food and water for her family.

"Medicine has been my ambition - ever since I was young. As a child I always used to see myself as a doctor because of the situation we live in Gaza. And now amid this tragedy and genocide we are witnessing, I am more determined to fulfill my dream and become a doctor, to be in the field in the hospitals to help the injured people," she said.

The Gaza war has displaced most of the enclave's 2.3 million population, left many homes and civilian infrastructure in ruins, and caused acute shortages of food, water, and medicines.

The conflict in Gaza began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed border defenses to attack Israeli bases and towns, killing more than 1,200 people and seizing more than 200 hostages. More than 100 hostages remain captive.

Israel's intense bombardment of Gaza since Oct. 7 has killed nearly 25,000 Palestinians, say health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, and left millions homeless.