From Ruins to Fuel: Gaza Residents Turn Waste Into a Lifeline Amid War

GAZA, Gaza Strip / PNN —

As fuel supplies dwindle and access to petrol and diesel in the Gaza Strip remains severely restricted, residents are turning to locally produced alternatives to meet basic needs, from powering vehicles and bakeries to cooking and heating.

Industrial diesel and petrol have emerged as a temporary solution for many residents. But the fuel is being produced with limited resources and equipment, raising concerns over fires, gas leaks and exposure to fumes, as well as potential health effects on workers and nearby communities.

Amid these conditions, people involved in local fuel production are trying to keep their operations going, viewing the alternatives as a relatively less expensive source of fuel despite the lack of specialised equipment and technical expertise.

Abu Fares, who produces industrial diesel in Gaza, said the difficult conditions and limited entry of imported fuel have pushed residents to rely increasingly on locally produced alternatives to meet their daily needs.

He said only very limited quantities of conventional fuel enter Gaza, most of which is allocated to institutions and hospitals, leaving ordinary residents with insufficient supplies.

Locally produced diesel helps fill some of the gaps in daily life, he said. It is used to operate bakeries and vehicles and is also used in homes alongside cooking gas.

Gas cylinders available to residents last no more than about 10 days under current conditions, he said, forcing families to ration their supplies and reserve them for essential uses.

Abu Fares said residents rely heavily on alternative diesel for cooking, particularly meals that require long cooking times and large amounts of fuel. He estimated that the alternative fuel accounts for about 90% of their daily fuel needs.

With conventional fuel in short supply, some workers have turned to producing local alternatives using rudimentary equipment, despite the risks involved.

Abu Khaled, who works in industrial diesel production in Gaza, said the process can take several hours, while producing tar, known locally as "qamar," requires additional time.

He said the process involves heating plastic waste and processing the resulting material to produce diesel and petrol.

Abu Khaled warned that working with the equipment carries significant risks, particularly in the event of a gas leak. A leak can lead to a fire or explosion if an ignition source is present, potentially damaging equipment and putting workers and others nearby at risk of serious injury.

Workers have tried to introduce additional safety measures, including adding protective layers around the equipment, he said. But despite those precautions, he stressed that the machinery remains highly hazardous and requires extreme caution.

Khaled, a Gaza driver who operates a three-wheeled vehicle known locally as a "tuk-tuk," said he relies on alternative petrol because it is cheaper and conventional petrol and gas are not consistently available.

The fuel allows him to continue working and meet his daily needs, he said, although his earnings are lower than when he was able to use Israeli petrol or gas.

One of the most difficult parts of the work, Khaled said, comes when the equipment is being shut down, when workers can be exposed to intense heat and flames. Workers wear protective gloves, he said, but sometimes suffer minor burns.

Khaled acknowledged that the work also affects nearby residents. He and his colleagues try to reduce the impact by choosing locations with fewer people, particularly as large numbers of Palestinians are living in tents without enclosed homes that can be sealed off from smoke.

They also avoid materials that produce particularly heavy smoke and unpleasant odours, instead using available waste materials, including debris from destroyed homes and clothing damaged by bombardment.

Some residents, he said, have begun buying such materials and using them as fuel as conditions become increasingly difficult.

Huthaifa Al-Baba, from Gaza, who also works in producing industrial diesel, said the fuel has become an alternative to firewood for operating small stoves and lighting fires.

Despite its relatively high cost, he said, it provides another option as traditional fuel sources become increasingly scarce.

Industrial petrol is also being used as an alternative to conventional and Israeli petrol, Al-Baba said. He estimated that it costs about half as much as conventional petrol, with a quantity that previously sold for about 80 now costing around 40.

Al-Baba appealed to the international community to help provide a suitable and safe location for the work so that fuel production does not endanger surrounding communities.

He also called for engineers and technical experts from abroad to help workers improve their methods and reduce the potential effects of the process on the health of workers and nearby residents.

The goal, he said, is to develop a safer way of producing fuel.

"We don't want our source of income to come at the expense of people's health — or our own," he said.

For many Palestinians in Gaza, the urgent need for fuel and the scarcity of alternatives have turned local production of industrial diesel and petrol into a way to keep vehicles moving, businesses operating and households functioning.

But the solution comes with another price: hazardous working conditions, smoke and gases, the risk of fires and injuries, and potential consequences for the environment and public health.

Workers say they are doing what they can to reduce those risks, while calling for safer workspaces and access to engineers and specialised experts who can help improve production methods and limit their effects.

Their efforts reflect a difficult wartime balance — finding enough fuel to keep daily life going while trying to protect the health of workers and the communities around them.

This video was produced with financial support from CFI, Expertise France and the European Union. The beneficiary is solely responsible for the content of this document, which in no way reflects the views of CFI, Expertise France or the European Union.