Travel restrictions – from Israel and Europe – trap students in Gaza

Mariam al-Najar, a 24-year-old student from Khan Younis in Gaza, was waiting for a message that could change her life.

When an email arrived two weeks after she applied for a scholarship from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio in Italy, she felt, for a brief moment at least, that years of studying had finally paid off.

The university confirmed that she had been offered a place for a master’s degree in economics and management, one of the few times during a long period of despair that Mariam had felt any hope about the future.

“Being accepted was like a ray of light that suddenly appeared and gave me a sense of life and hope again,” she told Al Jazeera. “I was applying for scholarships while feeling deeply hopeless and I never expected to receive an acceptance.”

The scholarship offer was not just an opportunity for Mariam to continue higher studies at a leading university but also offered hope of a new future amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza .

But securing a place at the university opened the door to a whole new set of challenges for Mariam.

Italy was a main destination for the evacuation of Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip between 2025 and 2026.

Approximately 229 students were evacuated from Gaza prior to May 2026, with another group of around 40 students joining in June 2026.