If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.

This is my will and my last message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice.

First, peace be upon you, and may God's mercy and blessing be with you. God knows that I have exerted every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that God would extend my life so that I could return with my family and loved ones to our original city, occupied Ashkelon (al-Majdal). But God's will was foremost, and His decision is final.

I have experienced pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, but I have never hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that God could bear witness against those who remained silent, those who accepted our killing, those who suffocated our breath, and whose hearts were not touched by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre our people have faced for more than a year and a half.

I entrust to you Palestine—a jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust to you its people, its unjustly suffering and innocent children who have never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace. Their pure bodies have been crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls. I urge you not to allow chains to silence you, nor borders to restrain you. Be bridges to the liberation of the land and its people until the sun of dignity and freedom shines upon our stolen homeland.

I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust to you my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never had the opportunity to see grow as I dreamed. I entrust to you my dear son Salah, whom I wanted to support and guide through life until he becomes strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission. I entrust to you my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers have brought me to where I am, whose supplications have been my fortress, and whose light has guided my path. I pray that God grants her strength and rewards her in my name with the best rewards.

I also entrust to you my lifelong companion, my beloved wife Um Salah (Bayan), from whom war has separated me for many long days and months. Yet, she has remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as an olive tree that does not bend—patient, relying on God, and bearing the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith. I urge you to stand by them, to be their support with Almighty God.

If I die, I will die firmly faithful to my principles. I bear witness before God that I am content with His decision, confident in meeting Him, and assured that what is with God is better and eternal. O God, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family. Forgive me if I have erred and pray for me with mercy, for I have kept my promise and have never changed or betrayed it.

Do not forget Gaza. And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.

Text taken from the portal of the daily newspaper The Guardian.

Author: Anas el-Sharif