Before the war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, Israel provided most of the city’s electricity. At the climax of the conflict, the country cut off supplies, forcing the Palestinians to seek solutions, according to the statement euronews.
One of the found ways to charge mobile phones is the use of solar panels. Panel owners offer to charge devices in exchange for a small fee.
The solar charging project’s founder, Wissam Ghbain, says the alternative he has found is “a replacement for household electricity” and that “the energy shortage situation is very bad.”
Wissam explains that he works depending on the weather conditions. “If it’s sunny, we can load, but when it’s raining and cloudy, we stop,” he adds.
Ali Gbain, a member of Wissam’s family, says there has been no electricity since the first day of the war. “We used to have electricity for about eight hours a day and we could figure it out. But now the situation is terrible,” he says.
He says the biggest challenge “is charging all the cell phones because there are too many people and there is no space.”
Deir el-Balah resident Yamen Hamad said that “the electricity is completely cut off, so life has practically stopped.”
“We’re talking about communication blackouts, water shortages, everything, all of life. Now we need to find someone who has solar power so we can stay connected,” he adds.
The US-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said in a report that there are about 12,400 rooftop solar systems in the Gaza Strip.