Gaza is experiencing an acute electricity crisis, with lengthy blackouts, crippled infrastructure, and dire humanitarian consequences for residents. This is not a new phenomenon, but the situation has substantially deteriorated following Hamas’ war against Israel that began on October 7, 2023, the day of the deadliest antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust. The crisis reveals stark realities about the governance of the Gaza Strip, Hamas’ control, and the broader conflict involving Iran and its terror proxies.
The Power Crisis: Chronology and Daily Impact
Gaza’s only power plant, combined with imported electricity from Israel, can at best provide partial coverage for the enclave’s 2 million residents. In normal circumstances, supply often falls far short of needs. Since October 2023, with Israeli operations focused on neutralizing Hamas’ ability to wage war, the crisis has sharpened further—leaving much of Gaza with as little as 2–4 hours of electricity a day, if at all. Hospitals are forced to run essential machines on unreliable generators, water sanitation systems are regularly offline, and basic refrigeration of food and medicine is compromised.
Residents recount lives defined by blackouts: mothers study by candlelight with their children, businesses shutter, and the sick face deadly risks when equipment fails. The humanitarian cost is evident, but any assessment of responsibility must account for Hamas’ control of the strip and manipulation of supplies.
How Hamas Diverts Critical Resources
Since taking over Gaza in 2007, Hamas has repeatedly diverted electricity and fuel intended for civilians to sustain its terror infrastructure. Israeli and independent intelligence reports confirm that the organization prioritizes powering underground bunkers, manufacturing tunnels, and operational command centers even as hospitals and homes plunge into darkness. Fuel deliveries from international donors are frequently seized and rerouted for military use—a fact substantiated by evidence collected during recent Israeli operations in Gaza.
Entire neighborhoods may experience hours without power while tunnel complexes and weapons workshops remain operational. This misallocation is a central factor in the catastrophe facing ordinary residents, compounding hardship while enabling continued rocket attacks on Israeli communities.
Israel’s Balancing Act: Security and Humanitarian Aid
Despite deep security concerns, Israel has coordinated with the United Nations and Egypt to facilitate delivery of fuel and critical supplies into Gaza. These efforts are closely monitored to limit dual-use of humanitarian goods for terror purposes. The challenge, however, is that Hamas’ absolute control over border crossings, customs, and distribution allows it to appropriate significant portions of aid—including most of the energy resources—at the expense of the civilian population.
The Israeli government, under international scrutiny, remains compelled to find a fragile balance between enforcing the blockade on terror-related materials and preventing a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. This dilemma is made more acute by the persistent threat from rockets, built and launched using resources that include siphoned-off fuel and electricity.
Wider Regional and Geopolitical Context
The crisis in Gaza is intimately linked to the broader conflict with the Iranian regime and its network of proxies. Iran has provided Hamas not only with weapons but also technical assistance in fortifying tunnels, command posts, and smuggling routes. Many of the electrical generators and components necessary for Hamas’ war machine are sourced from or through Iranian channels, sustaining the group’s capacity to wage war despite Gaza’s civilian infrastructure rapidly degrading.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war effort is targeted at dismantling the very infrastructure endangering its cities while repeatedly seeking to distinguish between terror targets and humanitarian needs. The IDF has regularly released evidence demonstrating how Hamas shields military assets behind civilian suffering, amplifying the complexity faced by policymakers and aid organizations.
The International Aid Challenge
Billions of dollars in foreign aid have poured into Gaza since Israel’s withdrawal in 2005. Rather than fostering independent utilities and civilian welfare, much of this funding—according to both Israeli and international oversight bodies—has been co-opted by Hamas to maintain its military operations. Key international organizations have struggled to enforce safeguards and ensure that deliveries reach civilians rather than contribute to the perpetuation of armed conflict.
Most recently, calls for stricter monitoring and aid conditionality have grown, but meaningful oversight inside Hamas-ruled Gaza remains nearly impossible.
The Way Forward
The long-term well-being of Gaza’s population hinges on addressing the root cause of the crisis: terrorist mismanagement, not just technical malfunctions or external constraints. Until Hamas ceases to prioritize its war machine over basic services, or is replaced by a leadership accountable to civilian needs, no technical fixes or increases in aid can solve the underlying problem. Israel, for its part, continues to weigh and implement measures aimed at safeguarding its citizens while minimizing harm to innocents—an approach complicated by the intractable presence of Iranian-backed terror within Gaza.
Conclusion
The Gaza electricity crisis stands as a testament to the tragic costs of terror group rule: humanitarian needs are subjugated to militant agendas, and every international initiative to alleviate suffering runs the risk of being appropriated for war. Israel’s efforts to balance humanitarian concerns with the imperative of self-defense highlight the agonizing complexities of this conflict. Only the removal, reform, or restraint of Hamas will pave the way for any real solution to Gaza’s enduring blackout.
