Despite war and the bitterness of absence, Aseel achieves her imprisoned father's dream

Student Aseel Sameh al-Saqqa achieved a 97.4% grade in the general secondary exams despite war, displacement, and her father's imprisonment for over two years, in a human story combining academic excellence with the suffering of prisoners' families.

Student Aseel Sameh al-Saqqa, from Gaza, achieved a 97.4% grade in the scientific branch of the general secondary exams amid a devastating war, repeated displacement, and loss of stability. Her father, Sameh al-Saqqa, has been detained in Israeli occupation prisons for over two years, arrested during the second raid on the Shifa Medical Complex on March 18, 2024. Aseel says she hoped he would be released before the results were announced to stand by her side, but he remains imprisoned. Her mother, Hiba al-Bayid, describes the details of the arrest, the destruction of their home, and displacement under bombardment. Aseel studied on her own using YouTube videos and textbooks, relying on her mother's support. She sent a message to the world demanding the release of prisoners. According to statistics, the number of Palestinian prisoners exceeds 9,600.