Amid the Rubble, Gaza’s Tech Incubator Defies War and Keeps Innovating

Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip has not only destroyed homes and basic services but also severely battered the economy, especially the technology and startup sector – once a beacon of hope for thousands of graduates amid high unemployment and a years-long blockade.

One of the hardest-hit facilities is the UCAS Technology Incubator, affiliated with the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City. Once a vibrant hub for innovation and startups, its headquarters and facilities were reduced to rubble in August 2024 following Israeli strikes targeting the college.

A Hub of Innovation Destroyed

Abdallah al-Tahrawi, director of the UCAS Technology Incubator, said the center was founded 13 years ago to invest in Palestinian youth and foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship to support economic development. The incubator has supported more than 500 young tech professionals and organized dozens of projects in information technology, food production, commerce, and creative industries.

Before the war, the incubator had 13 dedicated facilities, including training halls, media production rooms, and co-working spaces, funded by grants from the European Union, Qatar, and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development. UCAS then provided grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 to help young people establish or grow startups, and launched unique initiatives such as “Insaf,” an incubator aimed at developing professional capacity for lawyers.

Today, that entire ecosystem has been upended. The main headquarters and more than 20 specialized laboratories were completely destroyed, while many staff members and participants were killed or imprisoned by Israel, according to UCAS. A field assessment of 100 startups in Gaza conducted by the incubator revealed severe damage: 80% of startup headquarters were completely destroyed; 15.7% were heavily damaged, leaving more than 95% of the operational environment unusable without comprehensive reconstruction; and nearly 23% of workers in these projects have left Gaza seeking opportunities abroad.

“We have not only lost infrastructure; we have lost a portion of the human capital that formed the core of our work over the years,” al-Tahrawi said. Despite the immense losses, the incubator has launched a recovery plan to restore core programs and open new workspaces, aiming to include more than 100 beneficiaries in the initial phase.

Systematic Targeting of IT Professionals

The loss of human capital is catastrophic and, according to human rights monitors, deliberate. The Israeli military has systematically targeted dozens of programmers, IT specialists, and computer engineers in what has been described as a genocidal campaign. According to the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of intellectuals and experts in the besieged territory. This includes Tariq Thabet, director of the UCAS Technology Incubator Program, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on October 31, 2023, along with his wife, children, and parents.

Other prominent tech leaders killed include Baraa Abdullah al-Saqqa, a software engineer, who died in a November 2023 airstrike along with his pregnant wife and her family; and Haitham Mohammad al-Nabahin, considered one of Gaza’s top computer engineering experts, who was killed along with his wife in an airstrike on March 14 in the Bureij refugee camp.

Before the war, there were about 65 businesses operating in Gaza’s tech sector. Euro-Med estimates that the headquarters of programming and IT companies have been almost completely destroyed, six business incubators damaged, and all university-affiliated tech centers forced to close. The human rights group states that these crimes appear to be part of an Israeli policy to render Gaza uninhabitable by destroying vital structures and eliminating talent.

Shattered Dreams and Digital Resilience

The widespread destruction of training centers, coupled with frequent electricity and internet outages, has stalled much of Gaza’s business momentum. But UCAS continues its efforts and is now operating from a rented location in Gaza City. Mohammed al-Safadi, a computer professor overseeing the technology capacity-building project “e-Lancer” funded by the UCAS incubator, emphasized that the material losses have been accompanied by the derailment of hundreds of young people’s careers. “Technical laboratories, computers, and specialized training halls have been destroyed, and many development projects aimed at training youth in programming and web development have been halted,” he said.

Despite the challenges, the e-Lancer project continues to try to maintain training programs, viewing digital skills as a critical path to economic recovery. Tharaa al-Sharif, a student beneficiary, said the project provides a comprehensive pathway from technical training to freelancing on digital platforms. She noted that it equipped her with the practical skills needed to confidently compete in the modern digital market, despite the difficulties of living in Gaza.

The UCAS incubator’s role extends beyond technology, supporting economic empowerment programs for those hardest hit by the war. UCAS has partnered with the al-Amal Institute for Orphans on a project to support girls who lost their fathers – often the family’s main breadwinner – during the war. Amina Hammou, fashion design and arts coordinator at the college, explained that the project trains participants in fashion design and garment-making to professional standards. She added that all necessary equipment and materials are provided free of charge so young women can enter the labor market and help support their families.

Bayan al-Shurafa, a student participant, said the initiative changed her life. “Now I can produce complete designs and experience working in sewing and embroidery with confidence and professionalism, which gives me hope to build a better future and support my family in facing difficult circumstances,” she said.

Amid the rubble and a wave of brain drain, the UCAS incubator is striving to salvage Gaza’s innovation ecosystem. For those involved, reconstruction is not just about rebuilding bricks, but about rebuilding people and empowering youth to shape their own future, even in the harshest conditions.