Gaza Coders Build Apps Amid Rebuilding After Ceasefire

While much of Gaza remains damaged from two years of war, a growing community of programmers and designers is typing their way toward recovery, building websites and apps for clients around the world.

Tarik Zaeem walks through Gaza City's scarred streets each weekday to reach a coworking space where he debugs code for a Saudi parking app. The 44-year-old programmer says the work gives him more than income. It gives him focus and purpose while his family remains in Egypt.

"When I work, I forget everything and focus on the coding," Zaeem said. "When I'm on my laptop, I shut everything else out."

He's part of thousands of Palestinian freelancers registered on platforms like Upwork and Freelancer.com who design logos for Canadian pizza shops, build booking systems for barber shops, and create websites for businesses in Kuwait and Turkey. Seven months into a fragile ceasefire that began in October, their work is growing steadier even as broader reconstruction efforts lag.

Digital freelancing took root in Gaza over a decade ago when traditional industries struggled under blockade restrictions. High unemployment pushed digitally skilled graduates online, where they discovered they could compete in the global marketplace. Before the war, more than nine out of ten households had internet access.

The war that followed Hamas' October 2023 attack devastated that progress. Over 75% of telecommunications infrastructure was damaged. Widespread power and internet outages made meeting deadlines nearly impossible.

The Ripple Effect

Now, coworking spaces are reopening across Gaza, powered by solar generators and rebuilt connections. Sharif Naim founded Taqat Gaza during the war, offering three-hour shifts to desperate freelancers. Today, it serves more than 500 people with full-day internet access and networking opportunities.

"The focus today is creating a proper work environment and helping freelancers rebuild skills lost during the war so they can compete in the global market again," Naim said.

The revival has been especially important for women like Reem Alkhateeb, a 33-year-old graphic designer and mother. After her husband lost his job, her freelancing shifted from extra income to essential support. She squeezes in work between daily survival tasks like waiting in food and water lines.

Organizations like Gaza Sky Geeks, which lost two of its three locations in airstrikes, are supporting five independent coworking spaces. Program manager Rand Safi says freelancers aren't just seeking internet access. They're seeking community and a connection to their pre-war lives.

"There is a sense among people of not wanting to be dependent on humanitarian aid," Safi said. "They want an income."

For Gaza's digital workers, every completed project represents more than a paycheck—it's proof that recovery is possible, one line of code at a time.