Young Palestinian opens cafe in Gaza to provide internet access to students, remote workers

By Hosni Nedim and Hacer Cakir

GAZA CITY (AA) - A young Palestinian opened a cafe in the Gaza Strip that is providing electricity and internet service to students and remote workers amid Israeli attacks.

Mohammed Kurayk, who fled Rafah in southern Gaza to the Al-Mawasi area in western Khan Yunis, told Anadolu that after arriving in the area, he sought to address the electricity and internet shortages.

All shops and workspaces had turned to rubble in Israel's attacks, he said, noting that it took about one month to find a suitable location for the cafe.

The cafe, located on the coast, can serve 40 users. It has quickly become a hub for students, remote workers and journalists who need electricity and internet during the day.

Alaa al-Kabriti, a young Palestinian woman who visits the cafe to work on her design projects, said the fees are symbolic, allowing users to work in a conducive atmosphere.

Al-Kabriti, however, expressed fear about potential Israeli bombings, saying gunboats recently attacked the coast, causing fear and panic for those in the cafe, but despite the danger, she remained to finish her project.

Graphic designer Mohammed al-Amoudi, another regular visitor, said he was unable to work after the attacks began but found the opportunity to resume his work at the cafe.

Interior design student Hebatullah al-Jazzar also frequents the cafe and said it provides internet access that allows her to continue her lessons and projects.

Al-Jazzar expressed hope for an end to the war and a return of people to their homes and “old lives” soon.

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas.

Nearly 39,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 90,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.​​​​​​​