Gaza without electricity as Israel targets energy alternatives

Since the beginning of the genocidal war on Gaza nearly a year ago, Israel has cut off all sources of electricity to the enclave amidst ongoing violence and destruction, writes the Palestinian Information Centre. It has rightly been called genocide by many. At the time, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced that supplies of water, electricity and food to Gaza would be cut completely, referring to the Palestinians in the Strip as “human animals”.

Meanwhile, air strikes by the occupation state have targeted civilian homes and other infrastructure relentlessly, plunging Gaza into complete darkness. This has complicated daily life due to the population’s total dependence on electricity for all aspects of living, in homes as well as hospitals and other public facilities.

The electricity issue in Gaza is nothing new or recent. In 2006, Israeli air strikes destroyed the only power station in the whole Gaza Strip, plunging the territory into a severe power crisis that has worsened at various times. Israel has long used electricity as a tool in its blockade, suffocating the population and intensifying their suffering. Emergency back-up generators in places like hospitals are, as the name implies, intended for short-term emergency use, not as a permanent alternative. They break down, and spare parts have been blocked by the occupation state’s nearly 20 years of blockading Gaza.

Our correspondent reports that the total power blackout began in the first week of the genocidal war last October, when Israel cut all electricity lines and closed the crossings, preventing fuel necessary for operating the power station or generators that could provide alternative energy.

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Determined to persevere, Palestinians have been searching for alternatives to overcome this ordeal, despite the ongoing war and killings. One of these alternatives is solar panels, which have become a popular solution. However, demand has caused prices to skyrocket. Engineer Hassan Abdul Wahab, an expert in alternative energy systems, told our correspondent that solar panel prices have increased many times over. A panel with a 660-watt capacity which used to sell for $200 before the war, now costs over $1,300.

He added that solar panels have become scarce, as Israel has blocked their entry through border crossings since the war began. The prices of cables, brakes and large batteries have also seen significant increases, sometimes reaching ten times their original price.

According to Abdul Wahab, the cost of a medium-sized solar energy system, which was around $4,000 before the war, has now risen to more than $20,000.

Mahmoud Al-Maghrabi, who set up a charging station and began selling ice water using solar panels he owned before the war, said that these alternatives cannot fully replace electricity. Gaza has faced an electricity crisis for nearly 20 years, but the situation has worsened dramatically since this war began, leaving homes without any power at all.

Al-Maghrabi pointed out that life cannot continue without electricity. “We live in the age of globalisation and the digital revolution, yet we still have no electricity. What kind of terrorism and criminality is this?”

Gaza’s electricity needs range between 400 and 500 megawatts, peaking at 600 megawatts during winter and summer. However, even before the war, the available power from Egyptian and Israeli sources, combined with local production, never exceeded 250 megawatts, resulting in a deficit of 50-70 per cent. This shortage was reflected in power distribution schedules, which have been completely halted for nearly eleven months due to the cessation of all electricity supplies.

In addition to cutting off electricity and blocking alternative energy supplies, Israel has also prevented fuel deliveries needed to run hospital generators, which are crucial for medical care across Gaza. In a number of cases, hospitals themselves have been targeted by air strikes. Hundreds of medical personnel have been killed.

Our correspondent reports that during the war, Israel has often targeted buildings with solar panels on their roofs, aiming to destroy anything that might strengthen Palestinian resilience. Due to Israel’s slow and limited fuel deliveries and the steep price increases, it has become extremely difficult for some residents to run their private generators, further compounded by a lack of spare parts.

As the occupying power in Gaza, Israel has an obligation to facilitate humanitarian assistance under Article 59 (1) of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Failure to provide basic essentials such as food, water, fuel and medicine to the civilian population under occupation is a war crime.

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