‘If these words reach you … Israel has succeeded in killing me': the last words of a journalist killed in Gaza
This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.
First, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabaliya refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (al-Majdal). But Allah's will came first, and His decree is final.
I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification – so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.
I entrust you with Palestine – the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls. I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you. Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland.
I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter, Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed. I entrust you with my dear son, Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany through life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission. I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path. I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards.
I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me for many long days and months. Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend – patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith. I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty.
If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting. O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.
Do not forget Gaza. And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Several Palestinian people reported injured in overnight attack by Israeli settlers in West Bank – Middle East crisis live
Update: Date: 2025-08-15T07:12:02.000Z Title: Susya Content: Settlers attacked Palestinian people in village of , south of Hebron, while separately settlers reportedly attacked village of Atara and set fire to vehicles Yohannes Lowe Fri 15 Aug 2025 09.12 CEST First published on Fri 15 Aug 2025 09.02 CEST 9.12am CEST 09:12 Here is some more detail on the controversial plan to significantly expand a settlement near occupied East Jerusalem. The decision from the Supreme Planning Council, which meets next week, is expected to support the plan after rejecting objections by Israeli NGOs. The expected decision in favour will come after Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich – who backs both the plan and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty through the occupied West Bank – gloated that he believed construction on E1 would 'bury the idea of a Palestinian state'. Smotrich is a junior minister who also holds a position at Israel's defence ministry with oversight of planning issues in the occupied Palestinian territories. He was placed under sanctions along with fellow far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir by the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in June for 'repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities'. Standing at the site of the planned settlement in Ma'ale Adumim on Thursday, Smotrich, a settler himself, said the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and US president, Donald Trump, had agreed to the revival of the E1 development, though there was no immediate confirmation from either. While approval for the plan would be a significant step, it remained unclear on Thursday how much buy-in Smotrich has from Netanyahu and the Trump administration. Netanyahu has not commented on Smotrich's remarks, while the US state department appeared to dodge the issue of E1 when questioned. 9.02am CEST 09:02 Welcome to our live coverage of Israel's war on Gaza. Several Palestinian people are reported to have been injured in an overnight attack by Israeli settlers in the southern West Bank village of , south of Hebron, according to the Times of Israel. A man and his wife were reportedly injured in the attack and were taken to hospital to be treated. Separately, Israeli settlers were reported to have attacked the village of Atara, also in the occupied West Bank, and set fire to several Palestinian-owned vehicles. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or arrests. The attacks come amid a wave of violence in the West Bank, where more than 1,000 Palestinians are reported to have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers since 7 October 2023. Accountability for settlers who commit acts of violence against Palestinians is extremely rare, particularly under Israel's current rightwing government. Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said on Wednesday that about 3,400 new housing units would be built in key Israeli-occupied territory, effectively burying 'the idea of a Palestinian state'. As my colleague Peter Beaumont notes in this story, the so-called E1 plan would extend the existing Jewish settlement of Ma'ale Adumim towards Jerusalem, further cutting occupied East Jerusalem from the West Bank, and further separating the north and south of the territory. The plan still requires formal approval but it is expected to pass a final procedural hurdle, despite huge international opposition. The announcement comes after some of Israel's key western allies, such as Australia, Britain, Canada and France, pledged to soon recognise Palestinian statehood, under certain conditions, because of the humanitarian crisis Israel has caused in Gaza. 'This plan buries the idea of a Palestinian state,' Smotrich told journalists on Thursday. 'Anyone in the world today who tries to recognise a Palestinian state will receive an answer from us on the ground. Not in documents, not in decisions or declarations – but in facts.' We will have more on this and the other developments coming out of the Middle East shortly.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Albanese clashes with Trump ambassador over Palestine decision
The Prime Minister has returned fire at a US diplomat, throwing his words back at him to defend Australia's recognition of Palestine. Australia on Monday revealed it would join other Western nations, including the UK, France and Canada, in recognising a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September, in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But Anthony Albanese backed Australia's decision, saying the continued human suffering in Gaza had disgusted the nation. '(Mike Huckabee) is an ambassador of a country - not Australia - to another country,' he told ABC Radio on Friday. 'My job is to represent Australia's interest and Australians have been disgusted by what they see on their TV every night. 'When you have children starving, when you have children losing their lives with families queuing for food and water, that provokes - not surprisingly - a human reaction.' Mr Huckabee also criticised the timing of the statehood announcement. 'What Australia and the other countries may have done inadvertently is to push Israel towards doing exactly what they're afraid of,' he told ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday night. 'The result of this has been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward.' Almost 150 out of the 193 UN member states already recognise the state of Palestine. While the ambassador said the US got 'no heads up' about Australia's decision, Foreign Minister Penny Wong did inform US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of it being made public. Mr Albanese also spoke in advance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tense phone call. Liberal senator Jane Hume claimed Americans on both sides of politics had been shocked by Australia's decision on statehood. 'This decision by the Labor government has bewildered the Americans, that (the government) essentially departed from years of a strong alliance between Israel and America and Australia to make this decision unilaterally,' she told Seven's Sunrise. The Coalition has pledged to reverse Australia's position if it wins the next election. Australia's decision to recognise a Palestinian state was fuelled in part by Israel's newly unveiled plans to occupy Gaza City and came after at least 90,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of Palestine. 'There have been tens of thousands of people suggesting this is not the way forward. You just can't continue with the same pattern without an endpoint,' Mr Albanese said. 'The endpoint has to be to isolate Hamas.' The conditions for Australia's recognition include assurances that the designated terrorist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, plays no role in a future state. Many within the pro-Palestine movement say recognition will do nothing to change the situation on the ground, urging the government to go further and impose sanctions on Israel. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed almost 62,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children, since October 7, 2023, according to local health authorities. It began after Hamas's invasion on October 7, 2023, when it killed more than 1200 Israelis and took about 250 people hostage. Not all of the hostages have been released.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Nuclear deterrent is no laughing matter in the era of Putin
These deadly military items are apparently for NATO but still require US permission. It is ridiculous that we have to pay to house these weapons over which we have little control. We are now remembering that in August 1945 America dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, killing around 200,000 people. Today's nuclear hydrogen power presents an even greater danger to humanity and all life on Earth, especially with world leaders like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in charge. In truth, Westminster cash has always been available for nuclear weapons, with less, or none, for the poor, disadvantaged and disabled. In this post-imperial false superpower mode, the UK's supposedly independent nuclear deterrent remains a hugely expensive joke. A fully independent Scotland would remove all weapons of mass destruction from Faslane and the huge cash saving would be channelled into the NHS and other public services. Grant Frazer, Newtonmore. More Letters... Nuclear power has unfairly been given a bad name. It may be time to think again Trump has brilliantly exploited resentments and fears but will leave a poisonous legacy Letters: Johnson cannot escape the contempt of the people of Scotland Tourist trap Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reported to be considering introducing VAT on private health care. The Government should instead give tax relief on it, thus easing the pressure on the NHS. Another significant burden on the NHS finances and workload is health tourism. Visitors from 155 countries have run up £219 million of unpaid NHS bills. (£6m in Scotland). Visitors from Nigeria ran up a £6.1million in debt, India £3.1 million. Why have our politicians not actively pursued this £219 million debt? All visitors to the UK should have health insurance which would be checked at point of entry. No health insurance, back on the plane. How do we recover the money? We tell the countries that they must pay their citizens' outstanding bills or we stop their foreign aid and will ban their citizens from the UK until all NHS bills are settled. Clark Cross, Linlithgow. Freedom failure Regarding the activities of Palestine Action ('200 people arrested at protest backing Palestine Action group', The Herald, August 10), I came across a letter signed by 52 leading global scholars, calling on the UK Government to reverse the ban on the group. It said: 'As scholars dedicated to questions of justice and ethics, we believe that represents an attack both on the entire pro-Palestine movement and on fundamental freedoms of expression, association, assembly and protest.' This is a carefully worded opening paragraph, given that calling on the UK government to reverse the ban is surely not a criminal offence. Though one never knows. Freedom of expression under this government, led by Keir Starmer, is in a sorry state. One cannot be too careful. I wonder if it is conceivable that the government has jumped the gun, given that a High Court judge has allowed the co-founder of Palestine Action to bring an unprecedented legal challenge to the Home Secretary's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. John Milne, Uddingston. Whip to win Robert Menzies argues that former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was more of a unifying figure, rather than a divisive politician (Letters, August 13), giving the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill as an example. While it is correct that the bill was voted through by a majority of MSPs from all parties, he seems to forget that the vote was whipped. He admits that there were divisions within almost all parties, but the full extent of these divisions wasn't allowed to be expressed in a free vote, with the exception of the Tories. Some of those who defied the party whip paid a hefty price. Labour MSPs Claire Baker and Carol Mochan were removed from the front bench as a result of following their conscience rather than the party whip. A free vote would have been a true test regarding whether Ms Sturgeon actually won over most MSPs from across the chamber. It's fair to say that civility and respect for the viewpoints of others is fundamental when trying to unify people in a certain cause. If Ms Sturgeon had tried to avoid a divisive approach, would she have point-blank dismissed concerns about gender self-identification as 'not valid'? Would she have lightly disregarded Ms Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, who pointed out specific weaknesses in the GRRB, calling her 'the person from the UN', thus implying that her contribution was irrelevant? And would she have called those who disagree with her on the issue of gender self-identification transphobes, homophobes and racists? I suppose many will agree that this doesn't sound like a particularly unifying voice. Regina Erich, Stonehaven. Book and bad blood As I pointed out previously, during the discussion surrounding the hate crimes legislation, in many countries freedom of speech involves journalists avoiding arrest and imprisonment by the police or, worse still, being 'disappeared' by paramilitary death squads. In this country it appears that it doesn't extend much beyond the freedom to be nasty to people. Except, of course, as part of this there are two distinct groups. Those who are considered fair game for a pile-on and those for whom the same treatment is considered beyond the pale. Falling firmly into the former category is Nicola Sturgeon. It has been particularly difficult to find an unbiased critique of her book, especially since a quick glance at the newsstands would suggest that those who dislike her seem to have more platforms than Waverley Station. This is problematic for me, being the sort of person who is unwilling to cough-up even the Amazon price of the book (£20.77), on the off chance that it might be interesting. There is a grim irony that all this is happening in the wake of the killing of six Al Jazeera journalists, considered by the Israeli Defence Forces to be fair game. Apparently because of some vague, tangential connection to Hamas. One might have thought that there would be a pause in the parochial axe-grinding to show some journalistic solidarity with deceased colleagues. Apparently not. Robin Irvine, Helensburgh. Star attraction David Miller asks 'Is there no escape?' (Letters, August 13), a reference to all the headlines / letters regarding the publication of Nicola Sturgeon's memoirs. Mr Miller, the headlines are exactly what must be expected from the media. After all, Ms Sturgeon held the highest of public offices as First Minister, not to mention leading cabinet positions. So it would be remiss of the media not to highlight the book. The details and events referred to in the memoir will no doubt create more headlines. So watch this space, Mr Miller. Much more will follow, and rightly so. Catriona C Clark, Falkirk. Is the former First Minister preparing for new horizons? (Image: NQ) Moving on Richard Allison (Letters, August 13) suggests that Nicola Sturgeon is free to move to London as a result of the union that she hopes to destroy. Does Mr Alison not realise that Ms Sturgeon could just as easily move to Dublin, a city situated outside the United Kingdom? Sandy Gemmill, Edinburgh.
