GAZA, (PIC)
Power outages in the Gaza Strip are no longer merely a disruption of basic services. As summer approaches and temperatures continue to climb, the hardships of daily life have intensified.
Families, already exhausted by war, now find themselves trapped between scorching-hot tents during the day and complete darkness that blankets displacement camps at night.
Meanwhile, access to electricity has become a luxury that many can no longer afford.
Generators, solar power: Solutions beyond the reach
Over recent months, residents have searched for alternatives to cope with the absence of electricity.
However, these options have quickly become unaffordable.
Private generators require costly fuel, while solar energy systems demand investments far beyond the means of most families, many of whom have lost their sources of income during the genocide.
A displaced mother living in Gaza City, Um Ibrahim, said that securing just a few hours of electricity now consumes a significant share of her family’s limited income.
“Electricity generated through private generators costs around 35 shekels per kilowatt-hour,” Um Ibrahim said, adding that such a price most families simply cannot sustain on a daily basis.
Um Ibrahim told the PIC correspondent that charging phones and running fans or other essential appliances now requires careful planning and long waits. Electricity, she stressed, is no longer a convenience, it is a necessity for survival.
Tents turn into furnaces under summer
In the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Yunis, the Palestinian man Alaa Abu Shammala lives in a tent with no means of cooling.
During the hottest hours of the day, he moves from one patch of shade to another, searching for relief from the intense heat. By midday, the tent becomes what feels like an oven.
Abu Shammala stressed that the area lacks generator networks which leaves solar energy as the only practical option, adding that such alternatives are inaccessible for many displaced families.
“The heat inside the tent is unbearable,” Abu Shammala said, affirming that it feels like being trapped inside a sealed room on fire.
Power shortages threaten livelihoods
The impact of Gaza’s electricity crisis extends far beyond homes. It is also jeopardizing the livelihoods of workers whose jobs depend on reliable power.
Alaa, who works as a barber, says his greatest concern is keeping his hair clippers charged.
He explained that battery-powered clippers have become scarce and extraordinarily expensive. Before the war, a clipper cost about 100 shekels. Today, the same equipment can cost nearly 3,000 shekels.
If his clipper breaks down or runs out of charge, his work comes to a complete halt, cutting off the only source of income his family has left in Gaza’s worsening economic conditions.
Darkness swallows displacement camps after sunset
As the sun sets, a new chapter of hardship begins across Gaza’s displacement camps.
Pathways and open spaces are plunged into total darkness, with no public lighting available.
For his part, Samer al-Attar, a displaced resident living in a camp in Gaza City, reported that moving around at night has become dangerous, particularly for children and the elderly.
“We use our phone flashlights to get around,” he said. “But once the battery dies, we can’t see anything. Even taking children to the toilets requires an escort because of the darkness, stray dogs, and the rodents spreading through the camp.”
Electricity: A distant dream
Al-Attar said that he lost his job after the factory where he worked shut down because of the war.
“Installing a solar energy system is no longer a realistic option,” al-Attar stressed, explaining that the prices of solar panels and batteries have soared while thousands of Palestinians have lost their livelihoods.
Between the crushing heat of the day and the heavy darkness of the night, Gaza’s residents continue to endure life without electricity.
Simple daily tasks, charging a phone, running a fan, or lighting a tent, have become daunting challenges, adding yet another layer to the many hardships imposed by the war.