After hours spent carefully preparing her cakes, Abrar Abdu stood stunned in silence before her oven.
In her small, darkened workshop in Gaza City, the only light came from her phone’s torch, illuminating more than 27 ruined cakes – the result of a sudden power cut and a faulty oven.
Abdu, 34, who runs a small cake business in the Palestinian enclave, was forced to apologise to customers after failing to deliver their orders, refund every payment and absorb the full cost of the wasted ingredients.
“I have incurred devastating financial losses due to the chronic instability of the electricity generators,” she told Middle East Eye.
The losses have pushed her to the brink, she added, threatening not only her livelihood but also that of her employees.
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Like Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, Abdu has struggled to secure a reliable electricity supply since Israel severed all power lines to the Strip at the start of the genocide in 2023.
The territory’s sole power plant shut down on 11 October that year after running out of fuel amid the blockade on energy supplies.
‘If the current situation persists, Gaza will sink into total darkness’
– Mustafa Abu Hassira, association of generator in Gaza
Since then, Gaza has been plunged into near-total darkness, with residents relying on limited solar power or costly private generators.
Many depend on small charging stations, paying between two and five shekels ($0.67 to $1.67) to power phones and batteries.
“Since the total blackout in the Gaza Strip, we have been forced to rely on commercial generators that provide power at an exorbitant financial cost,” Abdu said.
Despite a ceasefire signed in October, Israeli restrictions on fuel entry remain in place, complicating efforts to rebuild lives and deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis.
“At one point, we were forced to stop production for nine consecutive days due to a persistent generator failure,” she added.
“This leaves us in a constant struggle against financial ruin, the loss of our clientele, and the burden of paying workers who support their families amid extreme poverty.”
Delayed surgeries, commercial paralysis
The power crisis in Gaza is most acutely felt in hospitals, which have been severely weakened by Israeli attacks and restrictions on the entry of medicine and equipment. With no stable electricity supply, they rely almost entirely on generators to keep essential departments running.
Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, said key components of the hospital’s generators have worn down, while entire units have stopped functioning due to mechanical strain and the lack of spare parts and specialised oils.
He described conditions as “tragic”, with generator failures disrupting critical units including intensive care, neonatal incubators and dialysis centres.
”These departments cannot afford even a minute of downtime. Consequently, we have been forced to shut down non-critical wards to keep life-saving sections operational,” Abu Salmiya told MEE.
Hundreds of patients awaiting scheduled surgeries now face indefinite delays, as hospitals prioritise only the most urgent cases. Fluctuating power supplies have also damaged vital medical equipment, particularly in the absence of backup systems.
“The unstable electrical current has destroyed many devices,” he added. “These machines require a steady flow, and the lack of uninterruptible power supply units leaves sensitive equipment vulnerable to permanent damage.”
The Association of Generator and Alternative Energy Owners in Gaza has in recent weeks issued urgent warnings over the shortage of mineral oils and spare parts, highlighting the severe impact on civilian life.
“If the current situation persists, Gaza will sink into total darkness,” said Mustafa Abu Hassira, an official at the association.
“If these generators continue to fail without the necessary oils and parts for maintenance, people will have neither water nor light in their homes. This will paralyse what remains of commercial and industrial activity,” he added.
‘We have endured a technical blockade for 15 years, during which we were prevented from importing new generators. But the real collapse began when this war started’
– Mustafa Abu Hassira, Association of Generator and Energy Owners
Residents have relied on private generators since 2006, after Israeli forces bombed the main transformers of Gaza’s sole power plant and imposed a blockade. Since then, electricity supply has typically been limited to around six hours a day.
“We have endured a technical blockade for 15 years, during which we were prevented from importing new generators. But the real collapse began when this war started,” Abu Hassira said.
“Most of the vital generators in the Strip have been destroyed, and operational infrastructure has been targeted, leaving us with a stark reality: no spare parts, no mineral oils, and no prospect of repair.”
He added that generator owners have resorted to using industrial diesel and even cooking oil as makeshift alternatives, accelerating engine damage and causing “catastrophic, unrecoverable financial losses”.
“Of the 150 generators that once provided basic services, around 60 have stopped completely due to the lack of oil and parts – and the number is rising daily,” he said.
According to Abu Hassira, the few remaining supplies of mineral oil have become expensive, with prices soaring from 14 shekels to 1,500 shekels per litre.
“We are not just facing an electricity crisis; we are facing total paralysis that will dismantle what remains of the local economy and cut off the basic necessities of life,” he said.
‘The wheels of life in Gaza may stop’
The energy crisis has spilled onto Gaza’s streets, now crowded with residents forced to walk long distances as the number of operational vehicles steadily declines.
According to Anas Arafat, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Communications, around 70 percent of Gaza’s vehicles were destroyed during the war.
He told MEE that the remaining fleet is now at risk of total collapse due to engine wear and a lack of maintenance.
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He added that restrictions on the entry of spare parts, oils and tyres are worsening conditions, warning they could soon turn surviving vehicles into “hollow structures destined for permanent breakdown”.
“These materials are not luxuries; they are the backbone of life,” Arafat said. “Without them, ambulances cannot transport the wounded, water trucks cannot distribute supplies, and the generators powering hospitals and bakeries will fail.”
“The wheels of life in Gaza may stop at any moment unless this crisis is resolved urgently,” he warned.
For small families and businesses such as Abdu, the impact has been deeply personal and severe.
Her bakery project was suspended during the war due to displacement and restrictions on fuel and food entry.
After the October 2025 ceasefire, Abdu and her family returned to Gaza City and began restoring their small factory while also searching for housing.
“We invested thousands to repair our ovens and refrigerators. After nearly four months, we managed to reopen despite the challenges,” she said.
‘Our suffering as we try to rebuild from the ashes remains invisible’
– Abrar Abdu, Palestinian baker
But solar power remains unaffordable, costing up to 5,000 shekels ($1,400), forcing her to rely on private generators.
These, however, frequently fail. “They cut out without warning, causing sweets to spoil,” she said, adding that repairs are often impossible due to a lack of specialised oils.
Unstable electricity has also damaged ovens and refrigerators, further increasing costs.
“We continue to bleed money due to power outages while paying more for raw materials than larger businesses,” she said.
“Our suffering as we try to rebuild from the ashes remains invisible.”
