This 28-year-old Palestinian journalist, born in Jabalia refugee camp, had become the foremost voice reporting from Gaza's frontlines since October 2023. Despite the December killing of his father when Israeli forces struck their family home, despite explicit death threats, al-Sharif continued broadcasting the reality of Gaza to the world – until Israel silenced him permanently.

His assassination fits a pattern many observers have long identified. Author Max Blumenthal's 2013 book "Goliath" described a society fundamentally shaped by extremism and Jewish supremacism – an analysis that seems prescient today. As one commentator explains, "When you build an ethnostate on stolen land, colonize the West Bank, pin Palestinians inside Gaza...you develop a level of fanaticism, extremism that is just off the charts." The genocide unfolding now appears as the culmination of decades of dehumanization.

What allows this violence to continue? A propaganda machine that overwhelms Western audiences with demonstrable falsehoods. From fabricated claims about Hamas headquarters in hospitals to invented atrocities, Israel has deployed a barrage of lies to maintain support. More disturbing is the apparent normalization of these atrocities within Israeli society, where polls show continued support for military operations despite catastrophic civilian casualties. While some international allies have begun expressing reservations, unwavering US backing provides both material resources and diplomatic cover that enables the campaign to continue. As al-Sharif warned in his final message, posted posthumously: "Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice...Do not forget Gaza and do not forget me."