Tunisia: Fares Khaled, the unarmed soldier who stood tall for Palestine

His name was Fares Khaled. He was not a celebrity, nor a movie hero. Yet, in just a few days, he became the symbol of a defiant Tunisian youth — united, outraged, and standing strong in the face of injustice.

A student at the Higher School of Science and Technology of Design (ESSTD) in Denden, Fares carried out a gesture both simple and powerful: he raised the Palestinian flag atop his university building. A peaceful act, part of a wider student movement protesting the ongoing genocide in Gaza. An act he would not live to tell.

Fares lost his life under circumstances that remain unclear. But what is certain is that an entire nation stood by him as he was laid to rest. Tunisia bid farewell to one of its sons in dignified silence, to the sound of solidarity chants and raised fists.

With keffiyehs draped over shoulders, tears in their eyes, and a quiet rage burning in their hearts, dozens, then hundreds, followed his coffin. Students, activists, teachers, civil society leaders, and ordinary citizens alike — all united by a single cry:

“Fares is not dead; Palestine lives through him.”

In response to the shock and grief, the scientific council of ESSTD announced the suspension of classes, honoring his memory and showing respect for his grieving classmates.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Embassy in Tunisia paid tribute to his courage and dedication, offering a solemn yet deeply meaningful homage. A tribute that transcends borders, weaving an invisible thread of dignity, sacrifice, and shared memory between Tunisia and Palestine.