Eighteen-year-old Saba Rabah has emerged as the top student in the science stream of the Palestinian national high school exams, known as Tawjihi, despite enduring significant hardship amid ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Rabah, who achieved a score of 99.9%, secured the highest ranking nationwide in the science stream for the first Tawjihi exams held in Gaza since the outbreak of war in October 2023. The exams, administered in June, took place simultaneously in Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Egypt, and several countries with Palestinian communities, marking the first unified testing in three years.

Her achievement is notable against the backdrop of widespread destruction in Gaza, where thousands of educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed by airstrikes and shelling since the conflict began. Many schools in the region have been converted into shelters for displaced families, and communities continue to suffer from repeated displacement and loss.

Rabah’s personal story reflects the broader challenges faced by Gazan students. Just days before her final exams, the house opposite her family’s temporary shelter in central Gaza was bombed, forcing them to flee once again. Her family had already lost their home in earlier attacks and suffered the death of her father, Fayed Rabah.

Despite these difficulties, Rabah maintained her focus and dedication to her studies. She dedicated her accomplishment to her late father, as well as to her mother, siblings, and teachers who supported her throughout her education.

Approximately 89,000 students participated in this year’s Tawjihi exams, with more than 25,000 taking the science stream. Rabah’s success has become a symbol of resilience within her community. Following the announcement of the results, her family and neighbors in the Al Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza celebrated her achievement with music and dancing.

Her story highlights both the severe impact of the ongoing conflict on education in Gaza and the determination of young Palestinians to pursue their goals despite adverse conditions.