From a statement he prepared before his death. Shabat was a Palestinian journalist reporting on Israel’s war on Gaza, where he was killed in March by the Israel Defense Forces. He was twenty-three.

If you’re reading this, it means I have been killed—most likely targeted—by the Israeli occupation forces. When this all began, I was only twenty-one years old—a college student with dreams like anyone else. For the past eighteen months, I have dedicated every moment of my life to my people. I documented the horrors in northern Gaza minute by minute, determined to show the world the truth they tried to bury. I slept on pavements, in schools, in tents—anywhere I could. Each day was a battle for survival. I endured hunger for months, yet I never left my people’s side.

By God, I fulfilled my duty as a journalist. I risked everything to report the truth, and now, I am finally at rest—something I haven’t known in the past eighteen months. I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honor of my life to die defending it and serving its people.

I ask you now: Do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away. Keep fighting, keep telling our stories—until Palestine is free.