Remembering Palestinian Poet Refaat Alareer: A Life Cut Short by Israeli Forces

Renowned Palestinian poet and academic Refaat Alareer was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, along with several family members. Alareer, a prominent professor at the Islamic University of Gaza, was known for humanizing the struggles of people in Gaza through his poetry and writings. He co-founded the We Are Not Numbers project, which provided writing workshops for young Palestinians in Gaza. While he was mourned by many, Alareer also stirred controversy for comparing Hamas's attacks on Israel to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. His regular interviews describing the situation in Gaza to Western audiences may have contributed to the Israeli army's desire to silence him.