Stephen Hawking - an outspoken voice for scientists and a trailblazer in the world of modern cosmology - has died on Wednesday, aged 76.
"We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today. He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years. His courage and persistence with his brilliance and humor inspired people across the world," his children said in a statement, according to The Guardian.
The legendary British theoretical physicist has long supported physicists around the world, including those in Palestine.
In 2016, Hawking backed the first-ever Palestinian Advanced Physics School, a physics lecture series for masters students in the West Bank.
A year later, he asked his followers to contribute to a crowdfunding campaign to bring back a second edition of the series. His support for Palestinians did not start, nor end, there.
In 2013, the physicist boycotted the Israel Presidential Conference - a decision that protested the state's occupation of Palestine and deemed to be a huge step forward for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
Hawking's political views on issues such as the Palestinian struggle will forever be remembered by people in the Arab world.
Undoubtedly, the news of his death was met with hundreds of tributes from Arabs across the globe.
"Soaring beyond space and time into true greatness. RIP"
"He'll live on forever"
"Thank you for so many things"
"Fly Superman. Fly away"
"What an inspiration. What a beautiful life he lived"
In 1963, Hawking - who was 21-years-old at the time - was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neurone disease (ALS) and was given only a few years to live.
The illness ultimately put him in a wheelchair, and with time, he lost his ability to speak except through a voice synthesizer. Hawking defied those odds ... and 55 years later, the world lost a true fighter.
"Rest in Power"
"A big loss for humanity" indeed
"The universe will never be the same again"
