O world, do you hear me?
O world, have you witnessed what transpired?
The voices of truth-tellers are silenced.
Journalists’ cries of alarm are dwindling.
Their cameras lie broken on the streets,
Their headlines and bylines buried beneath rubble.
My heart pounds with urgency,
But I will not let tears fall.
The voices of our brave journalists, each holding the line:
Wael El-Dahdouh, you turned your camera to Al Shifa,
Hind El-Khoudary, you stood among the ruins of homes in Khan Younis,
Anas El-Shraf, you pursued justice in the crowded streets of Jabalia,
Hossam Salem, you cried out among the fallen in Jabalia.
Najwan Semere, you reported from the front lines of Shujaiya.
Hasan Eslayeh, you stood firm in the alleys of Rafah.
Freida El-Ghoul, you shone your light in the dark corners of Gaza City.
Tamer El-Meshal, you fought with your pen in Gaza City.
Byan Abu Sultan, you brought hope among the broken walls of El-Shat’a camp.
Plestia, you chronicled our pain in the southern hills of Lebanon.
Shireen Abu Akleh, your spirit walks beside them all,
As if each one is your son or daughter,
Carrying your mission, your courage.
Let their pens be unbroken,
Let their voices remain unshaken.
Continue to speak for us,
Deliver our message to the world,
Comfort us with your voices,
Keep your vests on, and promise us that we exist.
Keep smiling, keep writing, keep Gaza alive.
Do not let the olive tree burn,
Protect our land with your words.
No need to ask who’s fallen.
No need to wonder why I feel this weight.
A hand rests on the shoulder of my vest marked PRESS.
I look up, and there stands Ismail Al-Ghoul,
The smile maker, the voice of Gaza.
He sits beside me, wipes away my tears,
With eyes serene and an unwavering smile, he says:
“Ibrahim, they’ve taken me,
But they’ve stolen something far greater,
Our homeland, our Palestine.
Never lose your voice, your pen.
Take my place.
Speak the truth.
Console the children.
Let the truth be heard.
Tell Wael, Hind, Anas, Hossam, Najwan, Hasan, Freida, Tamer, Byan, Plestia:
Do not lose hope, do not lose your voices.
I am watching over you all.
Tell them the truth.
Prove to the world that we exist as Palestinians.”
We will miss you, Ismail,
But we will speak, we will write.
Rest in peace, our beloved Ismail Al-Ghoul.
