Mariam Abu Amra's six children experience anxiety every evening as darkness descends in their home in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. The ongoing war has resulted in frequent blackouts, forcing families to rely on cellphone screens for illumination, which drains their limited battery life.
The Gaza Strip has faced a power outage for over a year, severely impacting daily life. Ms. Abu Amra, 36, stated, "Every night is a struggle for us," noting her children frequently ask when electricity will return, a question she cannot answer.
The absence of electricity, a vital aspect of modern living, has persisted since Israel initiated measures to cut off power supply following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, aiming to weaken the group. This power deprivation exacerbates the humanitarian crisis, making basic necessities, such as medical equipment and lighting, increasingly unattainable.
Ms. Abu Amra emphasized the challenges of adapting to life without electricity, now cooking over an open fire and doing laundry by hand before sunset. Prior to the conflict, Gaza's electrical grid had already been compromised due to prolonged conflict and an Israeli and Egyptian blockade.
The cessation of Israeli electricity became one of the initial measures taken by Israeli authorities after the recent escalation of violence. While some residents have resorted to generators or solar power, restrictions on importing solar panels and fuel have limited these options, with Israel citing concerns about Hamas potentially misusing these resources.
Georgios Petropoulos from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that many current issues regarding power supply are political decisions rather than technical challenges.
Despite international criticism regarding the power cuts, Israeli officials have linked their policies to the situation of hostages taken by Hamas. Aid has been permitted to enter Gaza following public outcry, though the Biden administration has cautioned that failure to increase humanitarian supplies could jeopardize American military aid.
The Israeli Defense Ministry's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories reported that it has facilitated the entry of fuel to humanitarian facilities, including hospitals and bakeries, but aid organizations argue that the measures are insufficient to address the electricity shortage and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
Hospitals in Gaza have repeatedly issued calls for fuel to operate generators, while electrical service remains stable in nearby Israeli towns. The Gaza Ministry of Health's engineering and maintenance director lamented that hospitals are "running on God’s kindness and mercy."
Previous conflicts had already left Gaza's electrical infrastructure in a precarious condition. A report indicated that Gazans relied on a mix of power sources, with half generated within Gaza and half imported from Israel, primarily through a diesel-fueled power plant and private generators.
The demand for solar panels has surged, with Gaza reportedly having one of the highest densities of rooftop solar systems in the world. While solar panels have provided a crucial lifeline for some residents, their capacity is often limited to smaller devices like cellphones.
Mohammed Samra, 23, established a solar power business in Al Maghazi, charging residents to power their devices. He remarked on the importance of solar energy, stating it has allowed his family to maintain basic needs despite escalating inflation.
Rasha Majed al-Attar, 20, shared her experience using solar energy to charge phones for her family, primarily to provide light for her children during the night. Reflecting on the changes since the conflict began, she expressed disbelief at the stark contrast between her previous life as a university student with modern amenities and her current struggle to meet basic needs.
“I cannot imagine that we are living in the 21st century,” she said, lamenting the difficulties in obtaining even the simplest necessities.