Gaza’s collapsing economy drives youth to create unconventional solutions

Gaza City – For many Palestinians in Gaza, earning a living has become a daily struggle amid Israel’s continuing blockade, repeated ceasefire violations, and the near-total collapse of the local economy.

With infrastructure destroyed and productive sectors paralysed as a result of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, traditional employment opportunities have all but disappeared, forcing residents to seek alternative, often precarious, ways to survive.

Hala Mohammed al-Maghrabi, 24, is one of many young professionals whose education no longer provides a path to stability. After graduating as a nurse in 2023, she spent two years volunteering in the healthcare sector, hoping the experience would eventually lead to paid employment. That opportunity never came.

“Volunteering doesn’t pay the bills,” al-Maghrabi said. “With prices constantly rising and no stable income, it became impossible to rely on this work to meet even my basic needs.”

With limited prospects in Gaza’s overstretched healthcare system, she made a difficult decision to leave her field entirely.

Al-Maghrabi instead shifted into social media marketing and e-commerce, working online to generate a modest income.

As al-Maghrabi recounted, she graduated as a nurse and began training in the hospital. During that training, she also took several design courses and tried to find work in that field, but she was unable to reach clients and earn an income. She then decided to take marketing courses instead of waiting for someone else to promote her work, allowing her to market herself effectively. After gaining experience in marketing, she began working in e-commerce and digital marketing.

“This isn’t what I studied or planned for,” she said. “But even though the income is limited, it helps me cover my daily expenses and survive under these conditions.”

Economic crisis

Al-Maghrabi’s experience reflects a broader phenomenon in Gaza, where years of compounded crises have pushed unemployment to unprecedented levels. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics’ 2024 figures, the overall unemployment rate in Gaza is 69 percent, rising to approximately 80 percent among 15- to 29-year-olds.

The population under 30 accounts for approximately 70 percent of Gaza’s residents, meaning the majority of the community faces severe economic challenges, with a significant portion of young people holding university degrees but unable to find suitable employment.

Gaza’s GDP has also contracted by more than 82 percent due to Israel’s ongoing war and destruction of economic infrastructure, and around 80 percent of the population relies on international aid due to food insecurity and loss of income sources.

The economic collapse has not only affected employees, but business owners as well. Mohammed al-Hajj, who previously worked in general trade and food supplies, saw his entire business model unravel after the war.

“My warehouses and goods were destroyed, and I could no longer afford import costs or the required licences,” al-Hajj said. “Everything I had built over the years was suddenly gone.”

Faced with few options, al-Hajj searched for an alternative way to earn an income. Because his neighbourhood had not been heavily damaged,