U.S.-Sponsored Scholarship Program For Students In Gaza Strip No longer Available Under Israeli Pressure
In this Oct. 11, 2012 photo, Palestinian student Amal Ashour, 18, poses for a portrait with schoolbooks at her family house in Gaza City. Ashour had planned to study English literature this fall at a university in the West Bank through a U.S.-sponsored program, but was recently informed the scholarship was no longer available for Gaza students. Under Israeli pressure, U.S. officials have quietly canceled a two-year-old scholarship program for students in the Gaza Strip, undercutting a program that American diplomats say has been key in providing needed educational opportunities for students in the Palestinian territories. <AP Photo/Adel Hana>