"I was just in a trough, drowning in uncertainty," says Walaa Volidis, a Palestinian software engineer. "But deep inside, I made a decision: it will not be the end, no matter how hard it gets. Wearing a headset and glued to her laptop, Walaa discusses AI on a video call with her mentor in California's Silicon Valley. Walaa is one of thousands of young Gazans now pursuing roles in the digital economy. "I have my main goal every single day to go to work, to finish my tasks.