By Valentina Maresca

From a medical degree under the bombs in Gaza to an internship at Rome's Policlinico Gemelli hospital, Joslin AlDadah has shown a great deal of strength. And between hopes and fears, her story proves that studying really can save lives.

The 25-year-old received refugee status and thus international protection. She is living with a journalist and her son, whom she met in 2022 when she was doing previous training at the same Rome hospital -- and who now consider her to be part of their family.

Since October 2023, the journalist and her son had been working hard to evacuate the young woman from Gaza through the Italian foreign ministry.

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'What remains of our lives is the rubble, ashes, and memories'

Following several rejections, it was only after AlDadah got her degree in December 2024 that she was authorized by Israel and Jordan to leave the Gaza Strip.

Thanks to assistance from the Italian consulate in Jerusalem, the young woman was then able to reach Amman and fly to Milan and then Rome in June, using a ticket bought by her Italian "family".

"Upon my return to Gaza, I continued my medical studies, and I was in my final year (6th year) when the war in Gaza broke out," the medical intern told ANSA, adding that "the situation in Gaza has never been particularly peaceful" with many attacks and escalations that, for the most par,t did not last very long.

But "Gaza has almost always been under siege," she stressed, in the sense that "traveling outside [the enclave, ed. note] wasn't an easy option" and "the Israeli occupation blocked the entrance of some needed goods and medical supplies from time to time."

"Nonetheless, we managed to build stable, decent lives," she said.

"We had beautiful houses, strong education, a good healthcare system, businesses and trading, banks, social services, etc. Today, everything we once had was destroyed and leveled to the ground by the Israeli forces. What remains of our lives is the rubble, ashes, and memories."

After interning as a general practitioner for a month, the young woman is now focusing on gynaecology and will then serve as an intern in pediatrics for the last three months of her internship.

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Family still in Gaza, 'they are suffering'

"I finished my studies in Gaza during the war. It wasn't easy at all," she added.

"It took a huge effort only to be able to focus while studying. Besides the risk, my colleagues and I used to take to go to our training site/hospital. A significant threat to one's life, but we had to continue! I finally graduated from Al-Quds University, Al-Azhar branch in Gaza after passing all final exams and requirements for the medical degree. Thanks to the Farnesina and Italian Consulate General in Jerusalem, I was able to exit Gaza to Amman to pursue my post-graduate internship in Italy."

She added that it was "a very complicated journey" for her from her home in Gaza -- where her parents, two sisters and two brothers still live - but that she was grateful "for having had this chance".

"My family remains in Gaza, unfortunately, because it is so difficult for anyone to get out. It's near impossible," she said. "They are still suffering in Gaza, nothing changed, and it's becoming even worse day by day. The danger and threat increase and recently, Israeli forces asked people to move again, flee from north to south, displacing around 1 million people in a very small area/land, lacking the basic necessities of life, once again before the world's eyes. I wish there was a way to rescue my family, friends, and all Gazans back there."

On October 1, AlDadah and her Italian host took part in the National Day celebrations in Rome organized by the Saudi embassy.

The future doctor had the chance to speak to Saudi ambassador Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and told ANSA that "he was so welcoming, supportive, and kindly offering any type of help needed." The young woman added that she had "built many valuable connections in Rome, and got to know a lot of great friends and tutors, who in turn, helped me hugely when coming to Italy."