A dispute over fuel supplies between Egypt and Hamas has triggered shortages of fuel and electricity in the Gaza Strip that are causing massive power outages. Life is increasingly difficult for the 1.7 million people who must contend with crippled water, sanitation and health care services.
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Evening in Gaza. Because of a shortage of fuel, many neighborhoods get only six hours of electricity per day. Few cars pass along usually congested streets. Long lines form when a station has fuel. And the price for fuel and cooking gas has tripled, when they can be found at all.
Ayman Ghabain is a tailor. He says he, like most businessmen, hardly works because there is no electricity and no fuel for generators. "Today the only thing working is construction. This is where most of the people are working in Gaza. The rest of the industrial sectors, you could say 90 percent, maybe more, are totally stopped," he said.
Abu Mohammed repairs and sells used generators. He says any other business is impossible. "We cannot sell chicken. We cannot open a garage because there's no electricity. We cannot buy hay for the animals because there is no water. One day they cut the water. [The next day] they cut the electricity," he said.
Analysts say the crisis is due in part to a political standoff with Egypt, which supplies Gaza's fuel. Hamas controls Gaza and wants the fuel to come directly from Egypt instead of through a cargo crossing with Israel.
Egypt reportedly refuses to allow the fuel to pass because it wants Israel, which has an economic blockade on Hamas, to continue to be seen as responsible for Gaza's problems. Israel views Hamas as a terrorist group.
Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan blames the crisis on the Israeli government. "The problem is not us. We are trying our best to ease the pressure on the Palestinian people. The problem is because of the siege, the oppressive, immoral and inhuman siege," he said.
Regardless of who is to blame, Gazans are growing increasingly angry over the crisis and are demanding a solution be found. On Friday, March 23, Israel and Hamas allowed nine fuel tankers to cross from the Jewish state. But the delivery of around 450,000 liters of industrial diesel will only power a plant for one day. More deliveries are being negotiated.
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