Remembering the ‘smiling face’ of a veteran Gaza university security guard

Talal al-Dabash was killed by an Israeli bomb as he prayed. Students at the university where he worked remember a ‘kind-hearted’ man with a love for learning.

Amid the photos of students and lecturers – some on their phones, others attentive – shared on Facebook, one stood out – a man sitting quietly to the side, his eyes focused on the presentation, his face calm.

The science seminar at the Islamic University of Gaza had drawn a gathering of students and academics, but it was the picture of Talal al-Dabash, the university’s veteran security guard, that elicited the most enthusiastic responses on social media.

“The smiling face of the university,” wrote one of Talal.

Messages described him as “respectful”, “kind-hearted” and “humble”.

“The most loving person I’ve ever known,” said one.