In 2021, I had mentored two young developers in Gaza, as part of a tie-up between Gaza Sky Geeks and Google For Startups.
I have been informed that one of my mentees, Asem Abu Musameh, was killed in November 2023 by an Israeli airstrike. I am told that this airstrike also killed Asem’s three children, his spouse, his parents, and his siblings. The Palestinian news agency WAFA carried a news item about this airstrike [archived links: archive.is, archive.org].
According to what I could find out, Asem’s home had been in Khan Younis in South Gaza — i.e., in the area that had been advertised by the state of Israel as ‘safe’ at the time of its airstrike.
I remember Asem as being a young person with a warm smile—sincere, hard working, and eager to learn. In 2022, his work had been showcased by Gaza Sky Geeks [archived: archive.is, archive.org].
Rest in peace, Asem.