Refaat Alareer, a son of Shijaiyeh in Gaza, gained an MA in English Literature from University College, London, and a PhD from the University of Malaya. He was a beloved professor of English literature and literature in English at the Islamic University of Gaza and a leader in the We Are Not Numbers educational organization. In December 2023 the Israeli military killed him in a targeted operation, leaving behind his wife and six children, one of whom was also killed in early 2024 along with her newborn child.