In the war-torn streets of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities remains severely restricted, technology is emerging as a crucial lifeline, according to Palestinian tech entrepreneurs attending the ongoing Web Summit Qatar 2025 in Doha.

With universities bombed into rubble and hospitals struggling to function, Palestinians are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation to bridge gaps that the conflict has widened.

At a special meet-up held on the sidelines of the Web Summit on February 24, Palestinian entrepreneurs and tech leaders shared how AI is more than just a tool of convenience—it’s a necessity for survival in their homeland.

A tool to amplify Palestinian voice

Marsel Adawi, CEO of Cayenne Systems, emphasised the role of AI in amplifying the Palestinian narrative in a digital space often skewed against them.

“I’ve seen a few projects in Palestine that used AI to identify hate speech against Palestinians and flag misinformation,” Adawi told TRT World. “But the main issue is that there’s no one to turn to with this data because law enforcement is skewed to one side against the other.”

Despite these hurdles, Adawi believes that AI can be instrumental in countering disinformation. “It can help spread awareness about what’s really happening on the ground and combat propaganda directed against Palestinians,” he said.

However, he also warned about the darker side of AI, particularly in global projects like Project Nimbus, which have reportedly aided Israeli military actions. "If you see the repercussions of this technology, the results can be disastrous. We need serious regulation to prevent AI from being misused."

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Rebuilding Palestine through tech innovation

For Imam Hithnawi, community director at Flow Accelerator – a platform that connects entrepreneurs, innovators, service providers, and enablers with teams and customers – the challenges Palestinians face are deeply political. "Most of the challenges stem from the occupation and the ongoing war," he said.

"There are almost no schools left in Gaza, no universities, and barely any hospitals. But technology can help through educational platforms, medical AI, and remote healthcare solutions," he told TRT World.

Hithnawi highlighted how AI-driven telemedicine is already playing a role, with cloud-based doctors providing consultations where hospitals no longer function.

"This is 2025, and we believe that technology can help solve many of our problems today — except for rebuilding the infrastructure, which requires physical resources," Hithnawi added.

"However, even in construction, AI and robotics could help recycle rubble and accelerate Gaza’s reconstruction. We need to use the resources and recycle the rubble to rebuild Gaza.”

Hithnawi’s vision extends beyond Palestine, as he seeks to create partnerships with accelerators and tech hubs in the Arab world. "Tech is the only hope we have in our economy because it transcends borders. You don’t need physical movement to grow a business in the digital age," he said.

"We are here to build bridges between Palestinian entrepreneurs and the global market."

Bridging investment gap

Ambar Amleh, managing partner at Ibtikar Fund, Palestine’s only venture capital fund, is focused on investing in Palestinian founders at the earliest stages. "We help startups grow and connect them with investors outside of Palestine," she told TRT World.

"That’s why we’re here at the Web Summit — to expand our networks and introduce our companies to a wider audience," said Amleh, a Mexican national married to a Palestinian and also a resident of Ramallah.

Access to funding remains one of the biggest hurdles for Palestinian entrepreneurs. "Palestinian founders are incredibly talented, but they lack the same access to capital as their counterparts elsewhere," she noted.

"We’re trying to change that by bringing investors on board who understand the resilience and ingenuity of Palestinian entrepreneurs,” Amleh said, adding: “Palestinians are incredibly strong and they're incredibly resilient. So those who are building in Palestine are doing it despite all of the obstacles.”

A journey through barriers

Beyond funding and market access, even attending global tech events presents a formidable challenge for Palestinian entrepreneurs. Unlike their global counterparts, for whom international travel is often a simple affair, Palestinians need to navigate a web of restrictions just to leave their homeland. Getting to Doha for the Web Summit was a struggle in itself.

"Our journey here is not just like hopping on an airplane. A two- or three-hour flight and that's it,” Firas Mahmood, CEO of Siraj, a tech startup based in Ramallah, told TRT World as he described the ordeal.

“It’s a two-day plan. We had to travel by car from Palestine to the borders, crossing three checkpoints before even reaching Jordan."

The absence of an airport in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories adds another layer of difficulty, according to Hithnawi, who is originally from Mount Sinai but lives in Ramallah. "Firstly, we need to leave Palestine for Jordan to access the Alia airport. But the challenge is that going to Jordan isn’t smooth — far from it,” he said.

“There are three checkpoints just to reach the bridge, and then another three once we get there. You have to switch from bus to bus to bus before finally reaching the airport and flying to Qatar” Hithnawi added.

Adawi, meanwhile, recounted how unpredictable border closures make travel even more uncertain.

"Recently, Israeli authorities have been going on strike at any time, forcing people to turn back from the checkpoints. A day before we crossed, this happened, and many people couldn’t make it to Jordan,” he revealed.

“There was a real chance we wouldn’t have made it to the summit in Qatar. We had to leave a day early because the border closes on Saturdays, forcing us to stay a night in Jordan before continuing our journey."

A future driven by technology

Despite these obstacles, the Palestinian entrepreneurs who managed to reach the Web Summit in Doha are eager to showcase their ideas and connect with global investors. Their presence alone is a testament to their resilience and determination to carve out a space in the global tech industry

While Palestine remains a conflict zone, its people are not waiting for geopolitical resolutions to build their future. Entrepreneurs, engineers, and investors are leveraging technology to bypass physical and political barriers.

AI is helping spread the truth, provide medical aid, and create economic opportunities where traditional infrastructure has collapsed.

As Hithnawi put it, "Technology is our bridge to the world. It’s our way of reclaiming our future."