After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding

Digital freelancing became popular more than a decade ago in Gaza. But traditional sectors shrank after Hamas seized control of the strip in 2007, as Israel’s intensified blockade devastated agriculture, manufacturing and other industries.

Palestinian programmer Tarik Zaeem, 44, works on his computer at a coworking space in Gaza City, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian digital freelancers work on projects for clients abroad at a coworking space in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian graphic designer Reem Alkhateeb, 33, works on her computer next to her son at a coworking space in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian digital freelancers work on projects for clients abroad at a coworking space in Gaza City, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding

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