The Palestine Festival of Literature opened with a powerful tribute to slain journalist Hossam Shabat, whose final words were read aloud by Palestinian-Iraqi writer and poet Zena Agha: “I ask you now, do not stop speaking about Gaza. Do not let the world look away.”
Shabat, a journalist for Al Jazeera and Drop Site News, was killed by Israeli forces on 24 March in a targeted attack on Salah al-Din Street in northern Gaza. He was among the few reporters who continued to cover the war from Gaza’s besieged north.
The emotional reading marked the beginning of the literary event in London, highlighting the personal sacrifices made by journalists on the ground.
According to a recent report by the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, at least 232 journalists have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since the escalation of conflict in October 2023.
The festival serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to amplify voices from Gaza and to resist global indifference.
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