July 31, 2014. Most areas of Gaza are completely without electricity. True to yesterday, only one high tension line bringing electricity purchased from Israel was functioning. Parts of Gaza City and Deir Al Balah have been without power for 48 hours. As a result, food storage is impaired. The ongoing hostilities have also made it difficult for stores to receive goods and re-stock their shelves. Shortages and difficulties in transport of goods are especially pronounced in Gaza City, to where many people have been displaced by the fighting.
Infrastructure
Much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been damaged in the bombardment of the Strip. Last Tuesday, fuel stores at the power plant were hit and several gas stations have also been damaged leading to long lines at those that are still operating. Gas stations sell diesel, needed to run generators, and sometimes cooking gas in addition to of course supplying gasoline.
Among the factories damaged in bombardments was the Al Awada factory, belonging to businessman Mohammed Tilbani. For lack of water, a fire that broke out at the factory as a result of the bombardment burned for two days. The fire destroyed a six month stock of supplies that Tilbani had stored in order to cope with frequent closures of Kerem Shalom and was fed by thousands of liters of fuel he had stored to run generators during long blackouts.
The factory has been producing sweets and baked goods since 1977, growing over the years and at some points employing up to 400 people. In the past, 60% of its products were sold in the West Bank and 5% in Israel. With the tightening of the closure in 2007 and the ensuing ban on exit of goods to the West Bank and Israel, the factory began operating on just 10 days per month using one production line, instead of five, and at only 35% of its normal capacity.
Crossings
Kerem Shalom, the only goods crossing to Gaza, operated today for the entrance of about 60 truckloads of goods and 18 truckloads of fuel. Israel does not limit the amount of food, fuel or medicine that can enter Gaza, however, it limits entrance of goods to these categories, plus some other humanitarian products, such as mattresses and blankets. Gisha learned today that clothing and shoes are supposed to enter next week.
Rafah Crossing was open between 9am and 3pm for casualties of the military operation and people with foreign passports or residency status. The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo reports that 122 casualties of the military operation are currently receiving medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals.