Storyline: Al-Azhar University in Gaza has reopened its gates, welcoming its first new students in two years, since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect. The conflict between Israel and Hamas that erupted on Oct 7, 2023 had brought life in the Gaza Strip to a near standstill, forcing universities to suspend teaching and enrollment. The registration area at Al-Azhar University was bustling with students. For many of them, this represents not just the start of a new semester, but a signal that life is beginning anew. Shahd, a first-year medical student, said being able to personally walk into the university to register holds extraordinary meaning for her. "Those two years were filled with displacement, war and destruction. Studying was very difficult, and online teaching was even more challenging. There was knowledge we struggled to understand, but information could only reach us in very limited ways. The university is finally resuming classes, this is better than before. We have completed our registration, and honestly, this is really good," said Shahd. Before the conflict, Gaza had 51 universities and colleges providing education to 226,000 students. The conflict turned most of them into ruins, with numerous books and research materials burned. Over the past two years, many teachers and students have been killed. With power outages and internet disconnections becoming the norm, online learning was nearly impossible to continue. Al-Azhar University is one of the first higher education institutions in the Gaza Strip to resume teaching. In the currently open campus, bullet holes and artillery marks remain visible everywhere. The new campus in the south was flattened, with severe damage to countless teaching equipment. Inside the medical school, discarded instruments lay in piles. Staff are working to salvage still-usable parts from damaged equipment, attempting reassembly. Currently, most of the university's buildings remain under repair. For students, this represents not just a return to campus, but a rebuilding of life itself. "After two years of conflict, being able to return to university classes has reignited our hope. The university still exists, this means a new beginning and new life," said Mohammed, an engineering student at Al-Azhar University. Shotlist: Gaza Strip - Oct 27, 2025: 1. New students at registration desk of Al-Azhar University, reception personnel 2. Al-Azhar University emblem 3. Various of new students at registration desk, reception personnel 4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Shahd, first-year medical student (full name not given) (ending with shot 5): "Those two years were filled with displacement, war and destruction. Studying was very difficult, and online teaching was even more challenging. There was knowledge we struggled to understand, but information could only reach us in very limited ways. The university is finally resuming classes, this is better than before. We have completed our registration, and honestly, this is really good." 5. New students at registration desk of Al-Azhar University, reception personnel 6. Entrance of university 7. Various of damaged buildings, ruins, medical instruments 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammed, engineering student (full name not given): "After two years of conflict, being able to return to university classes has reignited our hope. The university still exists, this means a new beginning and new life." 9. Various of damaged buildings. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]