The Gaza Strip Power Station, which is designed to supply about a third of the Strip’s electricity, consists of three turbines powered by industrial diesel. In order for the station to produce its maximum output – 80 Megawatts – and to keep the power station’s diesel reserves stocked, 3.5 million liters of industrial diesel are required per week.

Since October 2007, Israel has restricted the import of industrial diesel into the Gaza Strip. This diesel is paid for by the European Union and is used solely for the operation of the power station. Due to the need to modify it to suit the technical requirements of the station, and due to the source of funding, it is not possible to smuggle industrial diesel for the power station via the underground tunnels from Egypt. The only way to supply the Strip is via the border crossings between Gaza and Israel.

Following several months during which only small quantities of diesel were allowed through, or none at all, the State of Israel made a commitment in January 2008 before the High Court of Justice, as a result of a petition filed by Gisha and other human rights organizations, to allow 2.2 million liters into Gaza per week, which it claimed was the “humanitarian minimum.”

Since then, the power station has been forced to run on 63% of the required fuel and its output limited to 55-65 Megawatts only. Besides the daily ramifications this has for the Strip’s electricity supply, which include daily power outages lasting between four and eight hours, this limited quantity has effectively prevented the power station from replenishing its diesel reserves.