Episode 103 of PalCast was released under the title Drones, Jets and Harry Potter in Gaza. Hosted by Yousef and Tony, the episode featured Mohammed Isdodi, an English student whose studies had been interrupted by the genocide. He joined the conversation from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, where drones and jets were heard throughout the recording. The producer, Tony, kept the audio largely untouched so listeners could hear the reality around him. The full episode is now available on Apple and Spotify.
During the discussion, Mohammed described how constant drone surveillance shaped daily life and affected mental health. He spoke about repeated displacement, the loss of his home in Shuja’iyya, and the struggle to access food and medical care. He explained how famine, overcrowded hospitals, and restrictions on movement had reshaped ordinary routines. He also described how education had stalled, scholarships had collapsed, and thousands of patients and students remained unable to leave despite limited crossings reopening.
He reflected on how the war had disrupted his ambitions, including plans to study abroad and work as a translator. He described how the Access scholarship program had once expanded his outlook and strengthened his English, yet its suspension had removed an important path forward. He also shared the personal impact of living in tents and moving repeatedly with no stability. At the same time, he expressed a long-term goal to rebuild Gaza through construction, inspired by his grandfather’s work. His interest in British pronunciation had grown from family influence and his fascination with the Harry Potter film series, whose characters shaped the accent he adopted.
The episode documented both hardship and determination through Mohammed’s voice and experience. It captured the psychological weight of constant surveillance, the realities of displacement, and the persistence of personal dreams despite loss. Listen to episode 103 now and hear his story firsthand.