Gaza power shortages spark discontent among residents

Gaza power shortages spark discontent among residents

Gaza: A heatwave in the Gaza Strip that has sent temperatures over 38 degrees Celsius worsened power shortages and sparked discontent among residents who expressed frustration with the ruling Islamist Hamas group. Hamas, which has run the territory since 2007 blames a 16-year-long Israeli blockade for devastating Gaza’s economy and undermining development, including the power network. More than 2.3 million people live in a narrow strip of land squeezed between Egypt and Israel, suffering power cuts for up to 12 hours a day. The area needs around 500 megawatts of power per day in summer, according to local officials. It receives 120 megawatts from Israel while the enclave’s lone power plant supplies another 60 megawatts. The crisis has provoked an unusual wave of social media protests. Abdel-Hamid Abdel-Ati, a local journalist said, “our dreams have shrunk from (achieving) the right of return and liberating the homeland to one extra hour of electricity,” he told Reuters. Gaza residents are calling for the local generator to produce more power by operating the plant at full capacity. Many residents shared videos of darkness at night and of their children sleeping on the floor to cool themselves. While asserting Israel was primarily responsible for