Israel/Palestinian Territories: Power outages, potential humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip

Event

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned of a potential humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip due to rolling power outages. Over two million people are affected by the electricity shortages, which have impacted hospitals, clinics, and water supplies. Gaza's health ministry has warned that the blackouts could have dangerous consequences for patients.

Protests over the shortages are possible.

Context

The Gaza Strip's sole electricity plant frequently runs out of fuel for its generators; during peak hours of summer and winter, as little as four hours of electricity is provided per day. Fuel imports are organized by the Palestinian Authority (PA) but there are often disputes over payment. Electricity shortages led to significant protests in January 2017 and tensions over the issue have increased in the past five months.

Advice

Individuals in Israel and the Palestinian Territories are advised to avoid any gatherings and to keep abreast of the situation. Travelers are advised to be conservative with energy use, and adhere to all instructions issued by authorities.

On a separate note, due to the prevailing threat of terrorism, individuals throughout Israel should report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and always be on guard when visiting sites deemed particularly vulnerable to an attack (e.g. public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).