In a small, war-torn home, Um Shadi clutches a photograph of her son, journalist Anas Al-Sharif, killed in an Israeli strike. Her grief is raw and unending; for her, his absence is the vanishing of a soul, not merely a body. Anas had devoted his life to documenting Gaza under fire, capturing the reality of occupation even as danger surrounded him.
“He stayed until the end, even if it meant death,” Um Shadi recalls. Her son’s camera fell silent moments before a bullet claimed his life, leaving his story unfinished but his mission clear: to bear witness for Gaza when few would listen. For his family, his loss is immeasurable, with his young children still grappling with the absence of a father whose presence once guided and protected them.
Al-Sharif’s dedication exemplified courage in the face of relentless violence. His mother describes him as caring and vigilant, constantly worried for his siblings and neighbors alike. Even in death, his commitment to Gaza endures, a testament that the truth cannot be erased.
Um Shadi now carries the weight of preserving her son’s legacy, raising his children alongside her own, determined to honour his sacrifice. “Those who targeted him did not kill Anas, they killed the truth,” she says. Yet, his story, like his camera’s lens, continues to speak, immortalised in the blood and resilience of Gaza.
