U.S. officials believe Israel intends to target Iranian military and energy

Ahmed had been in Europe for what was meant to be a monthlong research trip when Israel began its assault on Gaza — and she was left feeling helpless as her husband and three children, ages 9, 14 and 16, were repeatedly displaced across the enclave after their home in northern Gaza was hit in an Israeli airstrike.

But in April, during Ramadan, Ahmed was finally reunited with her family after they were successfully evacuated out of Gaza with the help of the Council for At-risk Academics (CARA). It was a joyous moment for her family, but Ahmed said that in the months since, her children are still struggling to recover from the long-lasting trauma they suffered during the war.

“They are just remembering this war,” she said, describing how terrified her children are when they hear loud noises, like fireworks. And Ahmed said she worried for their academic futures, as they struggled to adjust to a new education system — and language — after temporarily enrolling in schools in Scotland.

Ahmed said she and her family hope to return to Gaza once it is safe to do so — and to help rebuild what’s been lost in the enclave, where much of the infrastructure has been destroyed. But she said first, there has to be a cease-fire to bring the deadly fighting in Gaza to an end.

“Without having a cease-fire, nobody will be safe,” she said.