THE last words of a 23-year-old Palestinian journalist have been shared on his social media after he was killed in an Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, was killed in an airstrike on Monday.
It came as Mohammed Mansour, a correspondent for Palestine Today, was also killed.
Shabat was hit by an airstrike while in his car in Beit Lahiya, and Mansour was killed in an airstrike south of Khan Younis.
Their deaths have been confirmed by both Al Jazeera and Palestinian news agency WAFA.
The CPJ estimates that more than 170 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began in October 2023. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate previously reported that 206 journalists and other members of the press have been killed; Monday's killings would bring that figure up to 208.
On Shabat's social media, his team published the below statement.
"This is Hossam’s team, and we are sharing his final message: 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 21 years old — a college student with dreams like anyone else. For the past 18 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 18 months.
"I did all this because I believe in the Palestinian cause. I believe this land is ours, and it has been the highest honour 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.
"For the last time, Hossam Shabat, from northern Gaza."
