'They're not reaching out to us': How the Israel-Hamas war demolished Gaza's struggling tech economy

Oct 31, 2023 ·

The Palestinian tech industry is facing immense struggles amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The situation began to deteriorate in early 2021, when a rocket fired by Hamas hit an Israeli intelligence headquarters in Tel Aviv. Consequently, Israel launched airstrikes that killed civilians, damaged civilian infrastructure, and caused widespread destruction in Gaza.

This has had a disastrous effect on Palestinian tech entrepreneurs, who had been making progress in recent years in developing a strong technology sector. Since the outbreak of violence in 2021, many businesses have closed their doors, leaving tech workers without jobs or income. Furthermore, there are now restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which has greatly hampered the development of the tech sector.

Additionally, internet access in the region has deteriorated sharply due to damaged telecommunications infrastructure and slow speeds. This is having a devastating impact on education, as well as the ability of tech entrepreneurs and engineers to access online resources.

In response to the crisis, the international community has worked to support the Palestinian tech industry. The European Union has provided funding to help rebuild the telecom infrastructure, while organizations like Code for Palestine are helping train tech workers and build a local technology ecosystem.

At the same time, the Palestinian tech industry continues to face major obstacles. These include the lack of investment capital, as well as restrictions on access to the Israeli market. In addition, the political instability means that there is no long-term assurance of safety and stability.

Despite these challenges, the Palestinian tech sector remains resilient. There is still a great deal of potential, and with the right support from the international community, it may be possible to build a vibrant tech industry in the future.