“If I die, tell people that I wanted to graduate and have my graduation photo taken.”

Yara Al-Hossari, August 2025

Junior doctor Yara from Gaza was martyred, shortly after she wrote her wish, on September 9, 2025. She was not able to graduate, she was not able to have her graduation photo taken and she never will be.

People die, everyone dies. Death is rather more precise than the precision of life itself. Because life happens over possibilities, like a sort of fiction, but death is an undeniable, certain, and painful reality. Death is the end of life. That’s what we all know, but look at Yara’s wish, dreams, hopes that outlived death—taking root deep within life— her delicate hands grasping life despite death.

Before the eyes of the whole world Palestine and Gaza which were subjected to a genocide— every second of it broadcasted live— represents humanity’s honor and faith which challenges death. Facing this barbaric genocide, Gaza deliberately continues to seed hope. Despite the feeling of emptiness caused by 20.000 child bodies, hopes and dreams of Yara and many more brilliant ones become the only meaningful support for life.

Yara Al-Hossari was born on December 11, 2002 at a loving family. She was a fifth grade medical student at Al-Azhar University.

During her university years, Yara was known as a determined, hardworking and a good hearted student. However, the rampant attacks of Israel made both life and education impossible for Yara and thousands of her friends. Because Israel has been targeting health and education systems since the beginning of the war. Alongside schools, hospitals an other public buildings, universities were also targeted. Despite the catastrophe and destruction of war, Al-Azhar University — the place........

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