Palestinian Power: An Energy Crisis in Gaza Grows Worse

Click on the 'Listen' button above to hear this interview. 

Earlier this week, a U.N. official told Reuters that the Gaza Strip, home to two million Palestinians, has become “effectively unlivable” for its residents. Chief among the difficulties faced by the people of Gaza: Most of its population only receives electricity for two to four hours per day, a harsh reality that's only been exacerbated by recent political tensions.  

In April of this year, Palestinian Liberation Organization President Mahmoud Abbas announced that his government would stop paying Israel to supply power to Gaza. Israeli power had accounted for 30 percent of the territory’s total supply.

The move was intended to pressure Hamas, the Islamist group that has controlled Gaza for the last 10 years, but so far, the power cuts appear to mainly be impacting the residents of Gaza. Tareq Baconi, a fellow for Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian policy network, and author of the upcoming book “Hamas: The Politics of Resistance,” joins The Takeaway to discuss the electricity crisis in Gaza. 

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.