In the ruins of Gaza, where more than four-fifths of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, a small but determined community of young Palestinians is fighting to preserve what remains of the enclave’s digital world.
Coders, technicians and freelance workers are labouring under extraordinary conditions to keep Gaza connected to the outside world, even as Israel’s war has devastated infrastructure.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam recently described the situation as “a race against time,” with the telecommunications sector among the hardest hit.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli forces have “deliberately and systematically destroyed” much of Gaza’s digital backbone.
Despite this, resilience has become a hallmark of Gaza’s youth. Many now code offline in notebooks, store solar power when available, and wait for rare moments of connectivity to send their work to clients abroad.
“We just always look for another way to get connected, always find another way,” said Shaima Abu Al Atta, a coder working from a displacement camp.
“This is what actually gave us purpose because if we didn’t do this, we would just die surviving and not doing anything. We would die internally.”
Before the war erupted in October 2023, Gaza had a modest but vibrant tech scene. Innovation hubs hosted coding bootcamps, and hundreds of freelancers worked remotely for international companies.
That ecosystem has largely collapsed. Engineer Shareef Naim recalled how his hub once housed more than a dozen programmers with contracts outside Gaza.
Today, the building lies in ruins, with some team members attempting to continue their work from tents and shelters.
Electricity remains the most pressing challenge. Technician A’aed Shamaly explained that power, when available, is unstable and prohibitively expensive.
“Prices are also high,” he said, noting that costs have soared to $12 per kilowatt compared with $1.50 for 10 kilowatts before the war. With no spare parts, technicians scavenge components from bombed buildings to repair equipment.
The scale of destruction is staggering. UNOSAT estimates that nearly 200,000 structures have been damaged, with more than 120,000 completely destroyed.
Mobile coverage has collapsed, with 64 percent of towers out of service by April 2025. In Rafah, coverage has dropped to just 27 percent.
Connectivity watchdog NetBlocks documented repeated blackouts, including a near-total shutdown in January 2024.
The telecommunications sector’s value has plummeted from $13 million in 2023 to just $1.5 million in 2024, an 89 percent collapse.
Losses are estimated at over half a billion dollars, with reconstruction projected to cost at least $90 million.
The consequences ripple across Gaza’s economy and society. Remote work, once a lifeline in a territory with unemployment above 79 percent, has been crippled.
Banking systems have stalled, preventing families from accessing cash. Healthcare has suffered, with the World Health Organization reporting deaths caused by the inability to contact emergency services.
Even during the fragile ceasefire that began in October 2025, Israel has blocked essential repair equipment from entering Gaza.
Analysts say this reflects a deliberate strategy to maintain control over Palestinian digital infrastructure and restrict the flow of information.
As ceasefire talks falter and the threat of renewed war looms, Gaza’s tech workers continue to code from rubble, embodying resilience in the face of destruction.
Their struggle underscores how digital skills have become not just a livelihood, but a form of survival.
Sources: Al Jazeera, UNOSAT, NetBlocks, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics
