In Loving Memory of Mahmoud Rassrass

Last week, Anera lost our colleague and friend, Mahmoud Rassrass. His death, alongside two of his beloved children, by an Israeli drone strike, has left a deep wound in all of us who had the honor to know him, work with him, or witness the hope he brought to others.

Mahmoud Mohamad Rassrass was born on March 4, 1986, in Gaza. He held bachelor’s degrees in psychological counseling and social sciences from universities in Gaza and Egypt. Mahmoud devoted his life to supporting children and families in Gaza, providing trauma-informed psychosocial care through countless individual, family and group counseling sessions. His career included work with MAAN Development Center, Save the Children, and the Palestinian Center for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.

Most recently, Mahmoud was Anera’s psychosocial support coordinator in Gaza. For nearly a year and a half, he led our efforts to help children and families cope with the unimaginable trauma of war. His job was never easy – offering care and comfort in a place that sees little peace – but he met the challenge every day with remarkable grace, professionalism and passionate energy.

Anera President Sean Carroll met Mahmoud in Gaza last December. “What struck me was seeing him work,” Sean said, “especially with the children. In the midst of unfathomable horror and crimes against humanity, he managed to bring joy, laughter, and a glimpse of hope to young lives. I can’t imagine a more important job being done by anyone.”

Mahmoud gave traumatized children space to laugh, play, and simply be kids again, even if only for a moment. Through art, games, conversation and the warmth of his presence, he helped them forget the bombs, hunger and  loss. His work was essential not only to Gaza, or to Palestine: it was essential to humanity.

Anera Palestine Education Program Director Sulieman Mleahat, who hired Mahmoud last year, shares what made him so special: “We had a huge number of candidates [for the position]. Mahmoud didn’t have the longest CV, but his spirit – his attitude – shone through. He was fun, he was brilliant, and he connected with children in a way that was almost childlike himself. I knew he was the perfect person for the job.”

Sulieman was never able to meet with Mahmoud in person, because as a West Bank resident he has not received permission to visit Gaza since the war began. Nonetheless, Sulieman spoke with Mahmoud every week. “He was one of the best professionals I’ve worked with in my 30 years in development,” he said. “Our local partners, seasoned psychologists, often went to him for advice on psychosocial support. His humanity was remarkable. He communicated with humor. He won people over with heart.”

Mahmoud was a protection specialist. The terrible irony of his death, and the deaths of his children, is that he could not protect himself or the people he loved most. In a just world, he would have had that chance.

Anera Gaza Program Manager Suad Lubbad says that “those who knew him best said his smile could ‘heal traumatized souls.’ Others said, ‘Wherever he went, he spread hope.’ Mahmoud often told people that goodness and wellness could be found everywhere.” That belief, that hope, is what he brought into every space he entered, every child’s life he touched.

Mahmoud is survived by his wife Dunia and two of his children Mohammed (13) and Laila (9), all of whom were injured in the Israeli attack. Prior to being displaced by the war, Mahmoud and his family lived in Rafah. The missile that killed Mahmoud and his two youngest children, Nidal (7) and Ward (5), hit the tent they were sheltering in in Mawasi, Khan Younis, an area designated as a supposed “safe zone.”

The death of Mahmoud Rassrass is a profound loss. For Anera. For Gaza. For Palestine. For the world.