The writer and academic Refaat Alareer killed yesterday by Israeli bombs

The last thing he wrote to his friends was: “The situation is very desolate, we don’t even have water… I only have my pen, I will throw it at the occupying soldiers if they invade, even if it were to be the last thing I’ll do”

Refaat Alareer was an academic and lecturer at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he taught foreign poetry and English literature.
He was the author of novels and books about the many challenges of life in Gaza under Israeli occupation. He has always been very active in denouncing Israeli crimes on social media.
Refaat always said: “When we write about the martyrs, one must know that it was the Israeli occupation that killed them. We must never forget to write the culprit.”
The last thing he wrote on Twitter and to friends was: “The situation is very desolate, we don’t even have water… I only have my pen, I will throw it at the occupation soldiers if they invade, even if they be the last thing I do. We have nothing to lose.”
His brother was killed by the Israeli occupation in the 2014 war.
Rafat Alateer was killed by an Israeli bombing on 7 December 2023 while he was at his sister’s house. He was 44 years old.

We interviewed him in issue 8 of June 2018 of our international magazine Global Rights, entitled Literature is an instrument of resistance, downloadable here (in English, the text is on page 49)

 

 

 

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