Refaat Alareer was a distinguished Palestinian writer, poet, professor, and activist from Gaza City. Born in 1979 in the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, he grew up amidst the challenges of the Israeli occupation, which influenced his literary and academic pursuits. Alareer was known for his profound contributions to Palestinian literature and his dedication to bringing the voices of Gaza to the world.

Alareer earned his M.A. in Comparative Literature from University College London and was completing his Ph.D. in English Literature at Universiti Putra Malaysia. He was a professor of world literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza. His literary works include editing the anthologies "Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza" (2014) and "Gaza Unsilenced" (2015). These collections showcased the resilience and creativity of young Palestinians under siege.

In addition to his academic and literary achievements, Alareer co-founded "We Are Not Numbers," a nonprofit organization aimed at nurturing new generations of Palestinian writers and thinkers. He used his platform to vehemently condemn the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and to highlight the human cost of the Israeli blockade.

Alareer's personal life was marked by tragedy, losing over 30 relatives to Israeli military actions during Israel's genocide in Gaza. On December 6, 2023, he was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with his brother, sister, and several of her children. His death was widely mourned, and his legacy continues to inspire through his writings and the memories shared by his students and colleagues.