Will 2017 see the end of Gaza’s siege?
In light of the Palestinian government's budget failure to meet the needs of the Gaza Strip, the accumulated crises resulting from the Gaza siege will likely continue to exist despite the partial solutions that may emerge.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Since the beginning of 2017, the Gaza Strip has been struggling with a worsening electricity crisis that deteriorated after the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company announced Jan. 7 a breakdown in the second generator of the power plant due to the lack of fuel and the increasing power cuts. This has left citizens with a two-hour electricity supply per day.
The electricity crisis that prompted Gazans to take to the streets in several regions and for several days is but one out of dozens of crises afflicting the Gaza Strip due to the continuation of the Israeli blockade, which gradually started with Hamas’ victory in the legislative elections on Jan. 26, 2006, and intensified with the movement’s takeover of Gaza on June 15, 2007.
