“The current power shortage has seriously affected the availability of essential services, particularly health care, water and sanitation,” in addition to undermining the fragile economy of the region, particularly the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated on its website.

The OCHA highlighted that so far this year, the territory has just had 14 hours of electricity a day on average, and although it is low, it is still higher than the availability in 2022 (12 hours) and 2021 (13 hours).

However, the agency explained that the inhabitants of the territory just had 11 hours of light a day last month amid a heat wave.

Israel has the strip under a blockade since 2007, when the Islamic Resistance Movement came to power there.

According to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the cumulative cost of Israel’s blockade against Gaza and the economic restrictions totaled 16.7 billion dollars from 2007 to 2018, a sum that is equivalent to six times the Gross Domestic Product of the Strip.

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