Israel/Palestinian Territories: Complete blackout in Gaza after power plant shutdown

Event

On late Wednesday, July 12, the Gaza Strip’s only operating power plant was turned off due to a fuel shortage, resulting in a complete blackout according to local officials. The UN warned that a further increase in the length of blackouts is likely to result in a collapse in basic services including medical care, water, and sanitation.

A UN report released on July 11 highlighted the deteriorating state of living conditions in the Gaza Strip after ten years of rule under Hamas and blockade by Israel. A top UN official commented that the territory may already be “unlivable.” During normal periods, Gaza residents typically receive as little as two to four hours of electricity per day.

Context

In April 2017, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA) led by President Mahmoud Abbas cut energy funding for Gaza, a move denounced by Hamas as an “act of madness.” The decision was widely viewed as an attempt to increase pressure on rival Hamas by Abbas. In June, Israel also decided to reduce the amount of electricity it supplies to Gaza by approximately 40 percent. Two weeks ago, Egypt shipped approximately 4 million liters of fuel to operate the power plant, but the fuel proved insufficient to meet the Gaza Strip’s needs. Additionally, power lines built to supply electricity from Egypt have been damaged amid heavy fighting in the Sinai region.

Gaza’s sole power plant was previously shut down in April after it ran out of fuel, following the removal of a tax exemption by the PA and the subsequent fuel price hike. Human rights groups have warned that further cuts would contradict a 2008 Israeli supreme court ruling that stated Israel must continue to provide sufficient electrify to the Gaza Strip to meet humanitarian needs.

The Gaza Strip has been under the control of the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas since June 2007, after which Israeli authorities initiated a blockade of the territory. Over the decade since, humanitarian conditions have deteriorated. At present, 95 percent of water in the territory is undrinkable and power is cut for nearly 22 hours a day. Youth unemployment hovers at about 60 percent. The coastal enclave is one of the most densely-populated regions of the world, home to over 2 million people. Israel and the PA justify the blockade and energy cuts as a means to reduce Hamas’s military capabilities and pressure them into political reconciliation, respectively.

Advice

Individuals in Israel and the Palestinian territories are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to avoid any associated protests due to the risk of violence.

More generally due to the ongoing terrorist threat, travelers are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and to remain vigilant when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (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, etc.). As a reminder, several Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and areas near the Lebanese, Syrian, and Egyptian borders.