How do people in Gaza have light for their tents?

Fighting with persistent power cuts in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, Ayesh Nassar, a 43 -year -old resident in the Jabalia refugee camp in the north, had few more options than using a 50 amps damaged battery to illuminate her family’s store at night.

He spent 900 Shekels ($ 322) on the old battery after being surprised by the “exorbitant prices” of new ones.

“A 100 amps battery now costs more than 5,000 Shekels Israeli ($ 1,790), an amount three times my monthly salary,” said the government employee.

Since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after an attack against Israeli citizens by Hamas militants in October 2023, industrial batteries have become the main source of energy for the 2.3 million residents of the territory, due to an ongoing electricity blackout.

But, as Gazanes resort to old or reconditioned batteries for basic energy, they face a high risk of accidents and negative impacts for the health of the chemicals of the battery, especially those who work in the maintenance of the battery, they told Climate Home News a Climate Home News told Climate Home.

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Israel’s efforts to dissolve the Hamas militant group have led to More than 61,700 deaths In Gaza, he displaced the majority of the population repeatedly, reduced buildings and infrastructure to debris, and cut the electricity and water supplies within the narrow coastal area. A high fire during which Hamas has returned to Israeli hostages is fragile and the future is very uncertain.

Throughout the conflict, the Israeli army has restricted the basic supply flows, including energy equipment and batteries to light tents and what remains of houses. The weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided stop the entry of all goods and supplies For the Gaza Strip, citing Hamas’ “negative” to continue with a new phase of hostages and hostage conversations based on a US proposal.

Leak acid

The only energy plant in the Gaza strip operates irregularly, due to intermittent fuel deliveries and the lack of equipment to solve technical problems. To compensate for the lack of network electricity, many families use batteries loaded with solar panels or fuel generators.

But access to this inadequate source of power entails a strong financial and physical cost for the population full of war.

“Before the war, we had a house equipped with a solar energy system, and we never feel the power cuts,” Nassar recalled. “But today, looking for a small battery has become very difficult.”

He repaired its battery to increase its efficiency to 70%, but after a week, the acid of evil began to drip it. Despite health risks, he said, he was still using it for lighting.

Yusuf al-Shawa, from the neighborhood of Al-Nasr in the city of Gaza, also decided to buy a reconditioned battery, unable to pay a new one due to their shooting prices, since the vendors took advantage of the desperate need of the people.

Al-Shawa, 37, who supports a family of five, explained that his children cannot sleep without light at night. “It was essential to find an alternative energy source to survive this difficult life,” he said.

He bought a fixed battery of 40 amps for 1,000 Shekels ($ 358), which said that “it is a great sum, but there are no other options in these difficult circumstances.” He pointed out that prices have jumped since the war began, since the locals trust in old batteries connected to solar panels or ad hoc generators to execute LED lamps and USB lights with solar energy.

“Usually, I doubt to buy old batteries because they come with the risk of exploiting due to the lack of adequate equipment to fix them,” Al-Shawa said.

Lead poisoning

Sami Al-Sharif, 41, owner of a workshop that repairs the old batteries in the neighborhood of Shujaiya in the east of the city of Gaza, explained that the new batteries have become scarce since the Israeli block, opening the market for those used.

In more peaceful times, different types of batteries of India, China and Turkey are imported through the crossing of Sharem Israeli, east of Rafah in southern Gaza, but in general they only have a useful life of about two years and their quality deteriorates over time.

These days, acid batteries are being repaired for reuse, said Al-Sharif, with the price of a kilogram of acid quadruple at 800 Shekels ($ 286) since the conflict began.

“Battery repairs are not exempt from health risks,” he said. Two years ago, he got sick of blood poisoning, with lead four times higher than the safe levels detected in his blood, and still suffers headaches and serious spasms.

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During the last 11 years, Louay Al-Souy of the city of Gaza has been repairing batteries in a small workshop. The 32 -year -old began to notice health problems three years ago, experiencing sudden spasms and problems with his nervous system. It was also diagnosed with lead poisoning.

“The work in this profession lacks safety and supervision standards. People do not wear masks or gloves while working, which leads to more health problems, ”he added.

Despite this, Al-Souy cannot quit smoking or look for another job, since work is scarce in Gaza and risky vocation is its only source of income.

Unsure elimination and recycling

Mohammed Masleh, director of the Department of Environmental Resources of the Gaza Bajo Hamas Government, said that Gaza contains more than 30,000 tons of batteries that need recycling, and added that these are currently stored in several open sites in inappropriate conditions.

“The batteries are made of heavy metals and toxic materials, such as lead and mercury, which are highly poisonous and represent a great danger to the health of the population,” he warned.

Statistics on accidents related to batteries and health impacts are not systematically collected. But Dr. Said Al-Masri, a hematology specialist at the Al-Ahli hospital, said that highly toxic substances contained in batteries can cause serious diseases through inhalation or skin contact.

“They enter the human body, are distributed through the nervous system and concentrate on the brain, with the most dangerous effect in the blood, causing leukemia and lung cancer,” he explained.

Dr. Mohamed El-Nadi, neurosurgery consultant at the Al-Awda hospital, said that the way the batteries are handled during the conflict can expose people to lead, cadmium, mercury and lithium they contain, causing neurological problems, renal insufficiency and immune system disorders, even causing death.

When the batteries are damaged or reused incorrectly, toxic vapors such as sulfur and nickel oxides can be emitted, which can cause pulmonary irritation and skin, asthma and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as poisoning, he added.

“Children are more vulnerable to these risks, since chronic lead exposure can cause developmental delays and behavioral disorders,” he warned.

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Despite the increase in the health risks faced by Gazans who are increasingly obliged to trust ancient and recycled batteries for energy, Dr. Al-Master said that there are no official statistics on the numbers affected by such diseases, since the work of collection of damaged batteries is done informally.

Insecure methods that violate the environmental standards described in the Basel Convention From 2002 on the elimination of hazardous waste, he emphasized.

The collection and processing of the batteries must be carried out safely by specialists in areas far from the population centers, he told Climate Home.