I am in a van crossing into Ramallah with executives from America's largest Internet company. As we speed through the gate leading from Israel to the West Bank, we see the following message splashed in graffiti across the looming wall dividing the two areas: CTRL+ALT+DELETE.

It will take more than a couple of key strokes to reset the agenda for one of the world's most enduring conflicts. But when I accompanied some Google executives on a trip to Gaza and the West Bank this summer, I saw how the Web can have a positive impact there. Internet use is increasingly linking young Palestinians to economic opportunities and information, transcending borders and blockades.

In Ramallah, we attended a group meeting of computer programmers attended by more than 130 young Palestinians. In an airy cafe with palm trees and flat screen televisions, the American execs challenged the programmers to compete against each other in a "code jam," basically a computer-hacking contest to develop code using open-source platforms. The World Cup was on, but the Palestinians were glued to their computers. When not diligently programming, they were pitching startup ideas to technology executives on hand to observe.

While the West Bank and Gaza have suffered from wars, political instability and limited access to resources, the Web has proliferated. Internet penetration—the percentage of the population that uses the Web—is estimated at 40% in the West Bank and as high as 60% in Gaza. Both figures are higher than those in many other Arab nations.

One reason is the proximity of the Palestinian territories to Israel, which is the region's leader in Internet development. Another factor is the high rate of literacy in the territories, estimated at 92%. Perhaps most significant, however, is that Palestinians' isolation—and inability to travel and import or export goods—means that the Web is their main way to connect with the outside world.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) responsible for helping develop the Palestinian economy view the Internet as the most promising sector for job creation. Already, companies in the West Bank like Exalt Technologies and Asal Technologies are making money on the Web and invigorating the economy.

Yet the impact goes beyond economics. After our visit to the West Bank, we spent three days in Gaza. The gate between Gaza and Israel, known as Erez Crossing, is designed for thousands of people to transit each day. But with movement restricted by the Israeli Defense Forces and the blockade in full force, only a few people trickle in and out. Thus, it is even more difficult for Gazans to connect with the outside world than for Palestinians in the West Bank. Inside Gaza, the Hamas-controlled government has a tight grip on information.

One of our first meetings in Gaza was with a Palestinian student group begun by an NGO called Mercy Corps to encourage youth to get involved in their community. These students began using the Internet to organize their activities and broadcast their charitable mission. They posted short films, for example, about their campaign to bring food to poor areas. The group grew from 10 to over a thousand in just a few months.

Although the group was not overtly political, Hamas nevertheless deemed it a threat and demanded that it stop meeting. But these students were already connecting through the Internet in ways that Hamas cannot track. During our meeting, the discussion centered on how they protect themselves online using "tunneling software" and other techniques that prevent Hamas from identifying and targeting them. The Web is not only linking Gazans to the outside world and each other—it is giving them some freedom to challenge the status quo and organize for a different future.

Two days later, in Gaza City, we attended a programming event similar to the one in the West Bank but amplified by the fact that visits by companies like Google are unprecedented. Nearly 200 students showed up, segregating themselves in separate rows for boys and girls. Yet they were united in their enthusiasm. As one young girl told us: "Gaza is a jail, but the Internet lets me leave it."

Like the West Bank, Gaza has skilled programmers who have ideas for promising companies. Google would like to participate in another trip to Gaza with other Silicon Valley companies, such as Facebook, Cisco and Twitter. These experts believe that because of the restrictions in the territories, there is more potential there for innovation than in most other places.

The Internet alone won't transform trouble spots like Gaza and the West Bank. But the hope is that if Palestinians have access to better information today, they will make better decisions tomorrow.

Mr. Tafuri is a partner in the Washington law firm Patton Boggs LLP.