Power outage adds to 'unbearable' hardships for Palestinians in Gaza
For a week, Gazans have been braving the scorching heat with only a few hours of electricity a day, following the closure of all border crossings with Israel and the suspension of the only power plant.
The electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip that has been ongoing for years has exacerbated in the past week with power outages reaching up to 16 hours a day.
The worsening power crisis comes as a result of Israel’s decision Aug. 2 to close the border crossings with the Gaza Strip, blocking travelers in and out of the enclave and preventing aid from coming in, under the pretext of a potential retaliatory military operation on the part of Islamic Jihad in response to the arrest of Bassam al-Saadi, one of the movement’s prominent leaders in the West Bank.
On Aug. 5, Israel launched what it called a pre-emptive military operation against Islamic Jihad in Gaza in a bid to prevent any violent operations along its borders and ensure the safety of its citizens.
In a dilapidated house inside the narrow alleys of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Noha al-Astal lives with her husband and eight children.
