The devastating impact of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip has led to a dramatic rise in poverty and unemployment, leaving families struggling for survival. Alaa Alzanin, a 41-year-old day laborer, is now jobless, unable to provide for his family of seven. He used to work in infrastructure and farming, earning a meager income, but now he faces the harsh reality of displacement and financial hardship. Majed Hamouda, a 53-year-old man with polio, is another victim of the war. His wife is a thalassaemia carrier, and they have five children. With no income and aid payments stopped, they rely on charity and the kindness of others. The situation is so dire that the Hamouda family sometimes goes hungry, forcing the father to ask his son to collect plastics and rubbish to sell, just to make ends meet. The war has created a catastrophic hunger crisis, with aid falling short of the daily nutritional needs of the people in Gaza. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reports an unemployment rate of 50% in Palestine, with 80% in the Gaza Strip, and 550,000 people jobless across the territory. The economy has regressed to its 2010 level, erasing years of development. The private sector, once the largest economic engine, has suffered a 83% GDP plunge in 2024. The situation is so dire that poverty levels were already over 63% before the war, and the British government estimated that 80% of the population relied on humanitarian assistance. The Gaza government estimates that 90% of all sectors, including housing and infrastructure, have been destroyed. The path to recovery is complex, requiring the reopening of crossings, the free entry of raw materials and production inputs, and the re-establishment of key productive sectors. The challenge is immense, but the people of Gaza are determined to rise from the ashes of war and rebuild their lives.
