BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip - Story By Nasma Al-Harazeen

Standing amid the ruins of what was once his family home, 20-year-old Yousef Al-Shafee searches for traces of a life that disappeared during the war.

The house in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, has been reduced to piles of concrete and twisted metal. Nothing remains to suggest that eight family members once lived there.

"I feel like I came back to introduce myself to the rubble," Al-Shafee said quietly as he looked across the debris.

Before the war, Al-Shafee's future seemed clear. He planned to travel to Egypt on Oct. 20, 2023, to continue his medical studies. Instead, he remained in southern Gaza with his grandmother while waiting for the border crossing to open.

As fighting intensified and northern Gaza became increasingly isolated, Al-Shafee lost contact with his family, who remained in Beit Lahiya.

Communication became sporadic. Phone calls stopped. Messages arrived less frequently. Then came the news he feared most.

"On Nov. 13, my father and older brother were killed," he said.

Two weeks later, he learned that his mother and younger brother had also been killed in an airstrike.

"I received the news piece by piece," he said. "Each time it felt like losing them all over again."

Before the war, the Al-Shafee family lived a modest life. His father worked to support the household, while his mother cared for the family's daily needs. Al-Shafee, the second son, spent much of his time studying and memorizing the Quran, hoping one day to become a doctor.

The war changed everything.

With the deaths of his parents, Al-Shafee suddenly became responsible for five surviving younger siblings.

In a territory devastated by conflict, where access to food, clean water and shelter remains a daily challenge for many families, caring for his brothers and sisters left little room for grief.

"When they ask about our parents, I tell them they are in heaven," he said. "I can't explain their absence without breaking down."

Eventually, Al-Shafee made the difficult journey back north on foot to reunite with his siblings in Gaza City.

Yet uncertainty continues to shape his life. Several relatives remain missing, and their fate is unknown.

"This kind of absence is the hardest," he said.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry and United Nations agencies, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed during the war, with women and children accounting for a large proportion of the casualties. The conflict has also devastated Gaza's healthcare system and displaced much of the population.

Despite the losses, Al-Shafee refuses to abandon his ambitions.

His dream of becoming a doctor remains intact.

As he stood beside the remains of his family's home, he recalled a phrase his father often repeated: "Hold on to the Quran, and God will protect you."

"Today," Al-Shafee said, "I feel like I live inside those words."

Looking one last time at the ruins surrounding him, he paused.

"I feel they can still see me," he said. "And that's enough for me to keep going."