Statement: Mercy Corps Gaza Sky Geeks Team Member Killed in Gaza

20 October 2024

Statement by Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps  

We are heartbroken to confirm that one of our Gaza Sky Geeks team members, Mahasen Khateeb, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday 18th October in northern Gaza. We are grieving and send our deepest condolences to her family, the Gaza Sky Geeks community, our team in Palestine, and to all those who have lost family members and loved ones to violence over the last year of war and unimaginable suffering in Gaza.  

Mahasen was an incredibly talented digital illustrator and was training others on digital illustration through Gaza Sky Geeks. Just two weeks before war descended on Gaza, she invested her life savings into opening a private studio. She refused to flee her home, even though her studio had been destroyed, and began offering digital illustration trainings to others. She continued her art and trainings throughout the war – despite significant challenges like power shortages and ongoing bombardments. Her beautiful art portrayed the resilience of Palestinians surviving through war.   

This was one of Mahasen’s messages to her fellow artists and freelancers: "Don't stop, no matter how dark it gets. Do what you can, for everything your hands touch will turn into hope, something miraculous born from the ashes. The first step is the hardest, but it is also the beginning of salvation. Amidst this devastation, we are the ones who create beauty, we are the ones who will redraw life."  

We call on all those with influence and power to take urgent action: to de-escalate and halt the unrelenting violence in Gaza, to protect civilians, and to do everything possible to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire.   

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Gaza Sky Geeks, established in 2011 by Mercy Corps with support from Google, is Palestine’s leading tech hub that trains nurtures, and supports emerging tech talent to create a sustainable and inclusive digital job market in Palestine through establishing a sustainable and inclusive digital job market within Palestine. Gaza Sky Geeks’ mission is rooted in empowering the resilient youth of Palestine, enabling them to realize their full potential and earn globally competitive incomes through high-value digital work. Gaza Sky Geeks aspires to shape a self-sustaining tech ecosystem, international recognized and respected by global tech employers and investors. 
 

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