“The Future of Gaza: Between Destruction and Corruption – Is There Hope Until 2026?”
Alaa Hamdi
Gaza is experiencing one of the most difficult periods in its history, with economic and humanitarian conditions worsening by the day, amid the ongoing blockade and deteriorating living conditions, while complaints of internal corruption and mismanagement of resources are increasing. While residents struggle to secure their daily sustenance, Hamas leaders live in luxury, benefiting from the funds flowing into the Strip, without citizens seeing any improvement in their lives. The crisis does not stop at poverty and hunger alone; it extends to a state of internal repression and constant fear of military escalation, making the future even more uncertain for the millions living inside the Strip.
In recent months, many Gazans have expressed their frustration and despair with the current situation. The “We Want to Live” campaign, launched on social media, reflects the popular anger. One unemployed young man wrote: “We want to live like any normal person. We want electricity, jobs, and a normal life. We don’t want to think about death dozens of times a day.” At a time when people are suffering from a lack of basic resources, unemployment remains above 50%, and 80% of the population depends on foreign aid to survive. Electricity is only available for a few hours a day, clean water has become a luxury unavailable to everyone, and prices are constantly rising due to taxes imposed by the Hamas authorities. The pressures facing Gaza residents are not limited to economic hardships alone; they also include the constant fear of military escalation. Many question the effectiveness of the rockets fired from the Strip during each round of escalation. One resident told the media, “We don’t want rockets fired from Gaza, and we don’t want a new war.” But these concerns fall on deaf ears, as the decision lies not in the hands of ordinary citizens, but in the hands of the leaders who continue to govern the Strip according to their own calc
