Colleagues of Hossam Shabat, a 23-year-old Al Jazeera journalist, who was assassinated by Israel in northern Gaza while reporting on the genocidal war, have posted the Palestinian journalist's "final message" on his X account, highlighting his 18-month dedication to documenting the impact of genocide on Gaza's besieged people.
"This is Hossam's team, and we are sharing his final message," the X post begins. "If you're reading this, it means I have been killed — most likely targeted — by the Israeli occupation forces," Shabat's prewritten message says.
Shabat, who was killed on Monday, says, as a college student he dedicated 18 months to documenting the horrors in northern Gaza, determined to reveal the truth. In the post, he says during his reporting he survived daily bombardments and endured months of hunger.
"When this all began, I was only 21 years old — a college student with dreams like anyone else. For 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'
Shabat's car was deliberately targeted by Israel in Beit Lahiya, witnesses say, killing his best friend Mohammed Nidal as well. He was assassinated just hours after Israel killed journalist Mohammad Mansour.
The Israeli army on Tuesday admitted assassinating Shabat, falsely claiming that the correspondent for Qatar-based Al Jazeera Mubasher channel, was a sniper in resistance group Hamas, a claim vehemently denied by Palestinian journalists.
Jonathan Dagher, head of the media watchdog Reporters without Borders' Middle East desk, says the accusations "can in no way justify his murder, as they are based on documents that in no way constitute that the journalist had any affiliation" with Hamas.
Israel's killing of Shabat reflects a broader impact on local journalists, with 208 media workers killed by Israel in since its genocidal war began in October 2023. Tel Aviv has barred foreign journalists from Gaza, leaving local reporters to cover the genocide, often risking their lives and properties.
In April 2024, Shabat argued on X that the main issue is not Western journalists' access, but the Western media's lack of respect and value for Palestinian journalists.
"My colleagues and I risk our lives every day to report on this genocide. No one knows Gaza like we do, and no one understands the complexity of the situation like we do. If you care about what's happening in Gaza, you should amplify Palestinian voices. We don't need Western journalists to tell our stories, we are capable of telling and reporting on our own stories."
Shabat's final message reflects the journalist's belief in the Palestinian cause and calls for the continuation of advocating for Gaza's story globally.
"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," he signs it off.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce blames the killing of journalists by Israel on Hamas, dodging questions on whether it's a war crime.
'Gold standard of journalism'
Shabat's final message has garnered rich tributes.
"You were the best among us," journalist Sana Saeed wrote under the post.
"That Hossam reported on the killing of Mohammad Mansour, just an hour or two before he was killed by the same murderers is the gruesome, devastating reality for Palestinian journalists in Gaza," Saeed, a former Al Jazeera reporter, added in a separate post.
Jeremy Scahill, a journalist at DropSite News, said Israel had placed Shabat "on a hit list... and murdered him".
"It is waging a despicable propaganda campaign to justify Hossam's killing, just as it has against doctors, UN workers, children," Scahill wrote on X.
"These people are essentially the best of us," former BBC journalist Karishma Patel told Middle East Eye.
Patel, who recently resigned over BBC's "editorial bias" on Israel's genocide in Palestine, described Palestinians journalists such as Shabat as the "gold standard of journalism."
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has called the assassinations of Shabat and Mansour "a crime added to the record of Israeli terrorism".
"This horrific war crime aims to obscure the truth and terrorise all those who carry the message of free speech," it said.
Child deaths account for 31% of those confirmed killed.
