The lights are going back on in the Gaza Strip, in a rare piece of positive news from the blockaded Palestinian enclave. In recent days, residents say they have received up to 16 hours of mains electricity a day, compared with as little as four previously. UN humanitarian officials report an average of between nine and 11 hours per day since October 25. It is the result of a landmark six-month deal, part of efforts to end unrest along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip that has raised fears of a fourth war since 2008.
The deal emerged amid ongoing indirect negotiations between the strip’s rulers Hamas and Israel, mediated by the UN and Egypt, in hopes of reaching a long-term truce.
The fuel agreement, whose first deliveries arrived on October 9, has provided the most power to Gaza residents in years.
The tentative results are showing in the enclave’s beleaguered economy: companies able to work longer, restaurant costs falling, and even an increase in ice cream.
Margins are tight for Kamal Fattoum’s two-man box factory in Gaza City and his meagre profits would evaporate if he were to run a generator. The uptick has had an immediate impact.
“Instead of working for four hours we can work for eight or more,” he explained.
Last month’s deal sees Qatar pay $60 million for fuel delivered to Gaza’s sole power station.
The deliveries are sent through Israel, which agreed on condition the United Nations monitors them to avoid interference by Hamas, which it accuses of diverting humanitarian aid.
Gaza now has 200 megawatts a day, said Mohammed Thabet, spokesman for the Gazan energy company.
It is short of the 400-500 megawatts needed for full power, but enough to see service double or more.
“We were paying around 800 shekels ($215) a day for 12 hours power from a generator,” said Karam al Tali, deputy manager of a restaurant in Gaza City.
Now they only need to buy three hours of power from a generator thanks to the increase in mains electricity, he said.
The kebabs and sandwiches they sell go for just 14 shekels ($3.50), he pointed out.
Nearby a corner shop now has enough electricity to power freezers — meaning they are stocking ice cream again.
The UN’s Mladenov said in a statement that the Qatari donation was making “a visible difference in the lives of people.” — AFP
Joe Dyke
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