’We Will Not Be Exiled’ - The Final Messages of Gaza Victims
Nadda Osman
‘Israel’s’ relentless bombing of Gaza since 7 October has flattened entire neighborhoods and left the besieged enclave resembling an apocalyptic nightmare.
The death toll, one month on, has surpassed 10,000 people and includes more than 4,000 children, as places of safety, such as mosques, churches, media centers, hospitals and supermarkets, have been bombed.
On the ground, Gaza's residents describe the air strikes, the constant explosions and near-death experiences.
The surrealism of the situation is seen on social media, as Palestinians use platforms like X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram to get their voices out, only for those same voices to disappear forever after the people who posted them are killed in air strikes.
Many post their stories with the caveat that this message might be their last.
Haytham Harrara, a journalist with Gaza’s government media office, was killed on 3 November. One of his final messages was published on X on 13 October. It reads:
“We will not leave, we will not be exiled, and you will not see anything from us other than steadfastness, certainty and resilience. If it will be migration, then it will be to our occupied lands or straight to God, Lord of the worlds.”
Harrara was pronounced dead at Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital, one of the area's largest hospitals where thousands have been sheltering and seeking treatment from the ongoing bombardment.