Mahmoud Shamiya walks to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea every day just to pass the time. He is among Gaza\u2019s tens of thousands of young people who have no work as the economy collapsed during Israel\u2019s devastating war.<\/p>\n
Shamiya graduated from Al-Aqsa University with a degree in basic education three years ago, dreaming of becoming a teacher and a role model for children. Today, his daily routine consists of fetching water, scavenging for firewood and surviving in a tent.<\/p>\n \u201cThe occupation and this war came and destroyed all the landmarks of education in Gaza,\u201d Shamiya said. \u201cToday, we have become aimless, jobless, and hopeless. We live a deadly routine.\u201d<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n Israel destroyed most universities and schools in Gaza \u2013 home to 2.3 million people \u2013 and killed at least 72,000 Palestinians in military operations described as genocide by the UN and global scholars.<\/p>\n Shamiya\u2019s despair reflects a broader generational catastrophe. Approximately 70 percent<\/a> of Gaza\u2019s residents are under 30 and they are navigating a reality that the United Nations describes<\/a> as the fastest and most damaging economic collapse on record.<\/p>\n According<\/a> to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, unemployment in the Gaza Strip has increased to 80 percent. The local gross domestic product (GDP) has plunged by 87 percent over the past two years to a mere $362m, with GDP per capita down to $161.<\/p>\n Economists says that\u2019s effectively erased 22 years of development, leaving the territory\u2019s youth completely cut off from the outside world and denied the ability to study, work, or secure their basic survival.<\/p>\n For students trapped inside the besieged enclave, the systematic destruction of Gaza\u2019s educational infrastructure has effectively paused their lives.<\/p>\n Mona Al-Mashharawi finished high school in 2023, shortly before Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza. She had secured a place at the Houari Boumediene University in Algeria and was scheduled to travel in November 2023. However, the outbreak of the war in October that year and the subsequent closure of the borders by the Israeli military trapped her inside the Strip.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo years of my life have been lost, and I am now entering the third. These years are automatically vanishing from our lives,\u201d Al-Mashharawi told Al Jazeera. \u201cIt is my right to complete my education. I should be in my third year of university, but today I am unfortunately still just a high school graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n With travel impossible, Al-Mashharawi tried to find alternatives locally, only to face the physical reality of the devastation. \u201cIn my journey searching for universities, I found that the war destroyed all the universities in Gaza. There is no way for me to complete my studies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Rafah Crossing, Gaza\u2019s only gateway to the the outside world, was reopened partially in February. It only allows the exit of a limited number of Palestinians who need medical treatment abroad and entry of Palestinians who had evacuated their homes during the war. The other crossing, Karem Abu Salem, which passes through Israel is the sole passage to allow transport of goods, fuel and aid.<\/p>\n For those who had established businesses and careers, the war has erased years of hard work in an instant. The government in Gaza estimates that 90 percent of all sectors, including housing and infrastructure, have been wiped out, with total economic losses estimated to total $70bn.<\/p>\n Historically, the private sector was Gaza\u2019s main economic engine, contributing to 52 percent of local employment. Today, that backbone has been shattered.<\/p>\n Muhannad Qasem, a champion bodybuilder and fitness coach, once owned a thriving gym in the Zeitoun neighbourhood, complete with sections for men, women, and people with special needs. During an Israeli ground incursion into Zeitoun, the building housing his business was levelled.<\/p>\n Qasem returned to the rubble and managed to salvage a mere 1 percent of his equipment.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to rent a new place, the prices are incredibly high and unaffordable,\u201d Qasem explained. \u201cImporting equipment is impossible. If bringing in food and drink is not allowed right now, how can we bring in gym equipment?\u201d<\/p>\n Unable to reopen his business or source new materials, Qasem was forced to place his salvaged, damaged weights and machines on the street, offering them for sale just to feed his family. \u201cThis was a project that supported our entire family,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Vast swathes of the enclave is in ruins forcing people to take shelters in tent camps. Despite a \u201cceasefire\u201d in place since last October, Palestinians are still at the mercy of Israel, which continues to occupy more than 50 percent of Gaza\u2019s territory and imposes huge restrictions on the entry of goods.<\/p>\n The erasure of Gaza\u2019s economy is compounded by a total blockade that has drained the territory of essential goods and raw materials. Approximately 80 percent of the population now relies entirely<\/a> on international humanitarian assistance just to stay alive.<\/p>\n But aid entering the territory falls drastically<\/a> short of the daily target of 2,000 tonnes, as only two crossings \u2013 Rafah and Karem Abu Salem \u2013 remain open and Israeli authorities heavily restrict deliveries.<\/p>\n With fresh produce and meats largely banned or unavailable, the Strip has been facing acute shortages of basic items, severely impacting the most vulnerable and effectively crippling any attempts at local production.<\/p>\n For the young people trapped within these sealed borders, the lack of basic sustenance mirrors the lack of opportunity.<\/p>\n As Shamiya stands by the sea, watching a horizon he cannot cross, the reality of a stolen future sets in.<\/p>\n \u201cOur years have been stolen, and the knife of time is constantly stealing from us,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are growing older without a goal.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Mahmoud](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/s2-1775388266.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C514&quality=80\")
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Educational erasure<\/h2>\n
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A decimated private sector<\/h2>\n
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The phantom of famine<\/h2>\n
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