In light of the ongoing, incredibly difficult, and unprecedented situation in Palestine, the Code.X team wanted to provide an update on our operations there, as well as express our support and grief for our communities in Palestine.

As many of you know, Code.X hosted Code For Palestine in partnership with the PalTel Group Foundation in both the West Bank and Gaza for 8 years. Through Code for Palestine, we have built an irreplaceable community of 400+ young students, Teaching Assistants, and local business partners. After the conclusion of Code for Palestine in 2022, we began YouthCode-Gaza in collaboration with Amideast, driving forward the same mission and curriculum while continuing to bring international instructors into Gaza. YouthCode-Gaza brought together another 50 wonderful students and was very much a community undertaking, with crucial support from past Code for Palestine TAs and program managers. While YouthCode-Gaza’s pilot was meant to run from summer 2023 until summer 2024, it is now on pause for the foreseeable future.

Across Palestine, our students and their families have been irrevocably impacted with the destruction of their homes, resources, and security. Several individuals in our community have been killed and we deeply grieve those who are no longer with us. Program facilities used in Gaza City, including classrooms and office buildings, have been destroyed. Our West Bank students are facing increasing local violence and mobility restrictions. Code.X’s immediate focus is supporting our communities on the ground – students, TAs, colleagues, alumni, partners – in this difficult and uncertain time in whatever way we can.

We are following the situation and will remain in as close contact as possible with those in Gaza. For those of you wondering what you can do to immediately support, please refer to the resources published by humanitarian organizations on the ground like Mercy Corps, UNRWA, and MAP. If you are part of our alumni community, continue to check in with those you know in Palestine. Share their stories and stories of your time spent together. We are keeping them and the broader Code.X community in our thoughts during this difficult time.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like more information on how Code.X has been operating in response, or if you have ideas for how we can best continue our mission and support those in Palestine. We will keep you posted on everything as best we can.

With Care,

The Code.X Team