Amid Covid-19 and lingering conflict, Gaza entrepreneurs thrive online thenationalnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thenationalnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For thousands of residents in Gaza, online shopping is not just about convenience.
It is a radically new experience and, in the aftermath of Covid-19, e-commerce could be opening up new doors for local start-up businesses.
Only a few international online shopping platforms have access to Gaza. AliExpress, a division of
Alibaba, delivers to the Gaza Strip, despite the length of time packages take to arrive because of Israeli security checks
. AliExpress also serves only retailers, not individual customers. Popular service eBay is technically accessible, but laborious complications with e-payments, combined with shipping delays, mean that many Gazans think it is not worth the effort.