Lamis at her graduation. The placard says, “Lamis, the best engineer in the world.” Photo provided by her family

When I was in the eleventh grade, our physics teacher told us she had taught an exceptional student the previous year who had a great passion for physics. She was now in her final year of high school, and our teacher knew she had a bright future ahead of her. After the lesson, my classmate Saja told me that student was her sister, Lamis. Saja told me Lamis aspired to become an engineer in the future.

And indeed, Lamis Al-Ajrami, 23, graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Engineering at the Islamic University of Gaza in 2023. Shortly after her graduation, she was offered a position as a teaching assistant at her alma mater. Her sister Diana, 25, told me how excited Lamis was as she graduated, brimming with enthusiasm and ambition, mapping out her life plans. When she secured the university position, it felt to her as though she was finally embracing her dreams and stepping toward a promising future.

On the morning of October 7, 2023, as Lamis went about her daily routine, sipping her signature mint tea with her mother and sisters, the sound of rockets interrupted their tranquility. Anxiety took hold of her as she wondered if this was the start of another war.

Lamis’s sister Diana shared with me how, during the war, Lamis moved weekly between relatives’ homes and shelters, including schools and hospitals. At the time, Diana was in the south with her husband, separated from Lamis, their mother, and their sisters Saja, 22, and Zamzam, 15. Each time they moved to a new location, Lamis reassured herself the war would end soon and she would return to her home, her memories, and the routine she loved. She would often ask Diana, “When will this war end so I can return to my home, my work, and my life?”

On October 6, 2024, Lamis, her mother, and the two sisters were taking refuge in a shelter in the Jabalia camp. That evening, Israeli forces began bombing nearby buildings. Drones hovered overhead, restricting movement, while tanks indiscriminately fired shells. Overwhelmed with fear, their mother urged them to relocate to the nearby Jabalia Rehabilitation Center, which was surrounded by homes and residents, offering a glimmer of safety.

By 4 p.m., they arrived at the center. Lamis sent a message to Diana, reassuring her they had reached what seemed to be a safer location. Diana tried to comfort her sister, saying the war would end soon, and they would all return home safely.

But just an hour later, Israeli forces began indiscriminately shelling the center. Their mother, desperate to ensure their safety, stepped out to consult with others in neighboring rooms about leaving the center collectively. As she exited the room, a shell struck her directly.

Lamis and her sisters rushed to save her but were helpless without medical supplies. After five agonizing hours, their mother succumbed to her injuries. Lamis and her sisters were left with no choice but to bury her in their shelter room, using debris from the shelling to cover her body.

Diana recounts how Lamis called her in tears, recounting the horror of what happened. “We buried our mother,” she sobbed. “It feels like I didn’t just bury her — I buried my entire life, my memories, and my dreams with her. I wish I had died alongside her.”

The following morning, Lamis and her sisters moved to their aunt’s home in Beit Lahia, hoping to find safety there. But this proved to be their final refuge. At 11 p.m., a shell struck the room where Lamis, Saja, and Zamzam were staying. The attack killed Lamis and Saja, leaving Zamzam critically injured with fractures and severe burns.

Diana never got to see her mother and sisters to bid them a final farewell.

Lamis was on the verge of achieving her dreams, but an Israeli shell snatched it all away. She should have been at her university, inspiring her students with stories of resilience and determination as she lectured on engineering. Instead, the occupation stripped her of her dreams, her future, and her life.

Her story is a painful reminder of the countless aspirations destroyed by war. Lamis Al-Ajrami’s journey, once full of promise, ended in tragedy — her dreams buried alongside her.