Reports: Writer and Translator Refaat al-Areer Killed in Israeli Airstrike
DECEMBER 7, 2023 — Author, editor, translator, and educator Refaat Alareer reportedly died today in an airstrike on his sister’s home that also killed his brother, sister, and her four children, according to multiple reports.
In a remembrance thread on Twitter, author Muhammad Shehada writes, “He was full of energy, life & humour. He loved Chicago Pizza, cats, history, classic music, theatre, poetry & Harry Potter.”
Poet Mosab Abu Toha wrote, also on Twitter, “Breaking, my heart is broken, my friend & colleague Refaat AlAreer was killed with his family minutes ago. Refaat is a university professor & writer & editor. I don’t want to believe this. We both loved to pick strawberries together. I took this photo of him this summer.”
A native of Gaza City’s Shijaieh neighborhood, Alareer studied comparative literature in London and Malaysia and taught literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza. He was editor of the 2014 collection Gaza Writes Back and co-editor of Gaza Unsilenced, and contributed to the Haymarket Books collection Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, which imagines a future Gaza.
His pinned tweet from November 1, 2023 was a farewell poem:
If I must die, let it be a tale. #FreePalestine #Gaza pic.twitter.com/ODPx3TiH1a
— Refaat in Gaza 🇵🇸 (@itranslate123) November 1, 2023
There is a vigil scheduled for Prof Refaat al-Areer on Friday, December 8 in Washington Square Park, 7:30 p.m., at the arch.
Also: Storytelling and survival in Gaza: An interview with “Light in Gaza” contributor Refaat Alareer.
December 7, 2023 @ 11:32 pm
“Lament for the Makers”
December 8, 2023 @ 1:20 am
So sorry to hear this terrible news.
December 8, 2023 @ 2:55 am
This makes me terrribly sad. We need a ceasefire NOW.
December 8, 2023 @ 12:22 pm
It is so sad to hear such bad news… It is a war crime against such an intellectual young man
December 8, 2023 @ 2:16 pm
Zionist wolves breaking loose in both Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, to kill and burn alive families of Palestinian citizens staying home with their children, dreams and hopes. Refaat al Areer is one of those Palestinian citizens of Gaza who lost his life with all the members of his family and their children under the criminal bombardment of the Zionist occupation army that only shoots unarmed civilians but runs away to avoid a tet-a-tet fight with young Palestinian fighters.
RIP Refaat and thousands of other Palestinian citizens who have been falling dead since October 8, 2023.