The University of Waterloo says twin sisters set to begin their PhD studies at the school were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza earlier this month.
The school says Dalia and Sally Ghazi Ibaid were planning to come to Waterloo, Ont., to get their doctorates in system design engineering before they died on Dec. 5.
It says both sisters were recipients of the school's Student Relief Fellowship, and had been selected based on their "outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated research potential."
The sisters' family says in a statement provided to the school that the two were "full of dreams and ambitions," and had talked about the things they wanted to do in Canada.
The family says the twins did not get a chance to realize their dreams, and is thanking the school for caring and helping their daughters.
The university says it is "deeply saddened" to share the news of the deaths and it encourages students and staff to reach out to school counselling resources.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2024.
The Canadian Press
