As a geoscientist, I spent years writing technical reports about sedimentary rocks, each one telling a story of millions of years old. My imagination travelled through time, reconstructing glaciers, seas, channels, deserts, and floodplains to understand how landscapes evolved. Yet nothing in my scientific work prepared me for writing a far more personal story, the story of my friend Iyad from Gaza, and the cause I have carried in my heart since childhood, across countries and continents.

I met Iyad more than twenty-five years ago in Paris at the Cité Universitaire Internationale, a beautiful residence where students from around the world lived among historic buildings representing different nations. It was a place where cultures mixed naturally, where ideas were exchanged freely, and where friendships formed across borders. We were part of what we jokingly called the “Arab elite,” young scholars from different parts of the Arab world completing PhDs in a wide range of disciplines. Many of us stayed in Europe or moved to North America to pursue careers in research and scientific innovation.

Iyad chose a different path. He wanted to return to Gaza and help his own people.

He was born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. His family had fled Jaffa during the Nakba in 1948. He studied in UNRWA schools and worked tirelessly to secure a better future for himself and his family. His academic success earned him a scholarship to France, where he completed an MSc and a PhD in Robotics at prestigious institutions including École des Mines de Paris and INRIA. His achievements were remarkable, but the war never stopped destroying the life he tried to build.

Since his return to Gaza, Iyad and his family endured every major conflict: 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the devastating war that began in October 2023. Their days were marked by bombardments, power cuts, and constant fear for their children’s lives. Homes were hit, schools destroyed, and loved ones killed or injured.

During the 2023 war, they were besieged for thirty-five days in Khan Younis — ten people confined to a single house under relentless shelling. Leaving meant risking death. His cousin and her family were killed while trying to flee to a school. They ran out of basic necessities; one rainy day, they collected rainwater just to survive. His uncle’s neighbouring house was destroyed, and his daughters suffered injuries from flying debris. After the siege, they fled repeatedly to AlMawasi, then to Hamad City, and finally to his sister’s home near the sea — but the strikes followed them everywhere.

Before the war, Iyad had worked for years to build stability. Through great effort, he saved enough to buy an apartment and a plot of land, hoping to secure a future for his children. During the 2023 war, his apartment was partially destroyed. Today, he does not know whether it still exists. A lifetime of work was reduced to dust.

He left Gaza with his wife and five children, heartbroken. They reached Egypt on 24 April 2024 seeking temporary refuge, but life there was nearly impossible for Palestinians from Gaza: no residence permits, no right to work, and no schooling for the children. For nine months — until their departure on 24 January 2025 — they lived in extremely precarious conditions without legal protection or access to basic services.

Then came an irreparable tragedy. In August 2025, his brother’s home in Gaza was bombed. Ten members of his family were killed: his mother, two sisters, his brother’s wife, two of his brother’s children, and four of his sister’s children. His brothers were doctors, and one of them worked at Al-Shifa Hospital. I had followed the desperate appeals for help on Facebook, and it was there that I learned, piece by piece, about the tragedy that has befallen his family.

Today, Iyad is back in France as a refugee with his family, seeking dignity, peace, and a stable life. He wants his children to grow up without fear, pursue their education without interruption, and dream of a future without drones or bombs. He brings experience, skills, and determination to contribute positively to society. He simply wishes to rebuild his life in safety.
His story is one of countless shattered lives. I share it because I believe in justice, solidarity, and the human values countries like Britain represent and because behind every headline is a human being, a family, and a life that mattered.

Sadly, the UK and the international community have not yet been able to stop the atrocities that Iyad and his family have endured. However, I remain hopeful that through continued diplomacy, humanitarian efforts, and the determination of people on all sides who seek peace, a just and lasting future for everyone in the Middle East can still be achieved.

* Dr. Dalila Henniche Maali is a Member of Woking Liberal Democrats and Liberal Democrats Friends of Palestine.