Slain Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, killed in an Israeli strike on a journalists’ tent in Gaza City, left behind an emotional will and final message urging the world to remember besieged Gaza and stand with the Palestinian people.
In his message, shared on his social media accounts after his assassination on Sunday, al-Sharif said he gave “every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people.”
“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,” he wrote, reports TRT Global.
Al-Sharif reflected on the hardships he endured: “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.”
The journalist, who left behind his mother, wife, and two children, called on people to support his family after his death. “I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty. If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles,” he said.
In his will, he appealed to the world to stand with Palestine, especially “innocent children,” and to be active in the struggle for liberation. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Al-Sharif prayed to Allah “to accept me among the martyrs and forgive my sins,” concluding his message with, “Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.”
The slain reporter was among six journalists killed in the same Israeli strike. The others were Mohamed Qraiqea, Ibrahim Dahir, Moumin Alaywa, and Mohammed Noufal, while freelance journalist Mohammed Al-Khaldi later died from his injuries.
According to the Gaza Media Office, the number of journalists killed since Israel’s war began on October 7, 2023, has reached 237. Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza, a move widely seen as an attempt to block coverage of the war.
The most recent journalist killed before this incident was Adam Abu Harbid, a photojournalist assassinated by Israel in late July.
