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Lights Out in the Gaza Strip
IN PICTURES: People in the Gaza Strip have been left in the dark, with some blackouts lasting as long as 24 hours.
The besieged Palestinian territory has been enduring longer power cuts than usual since April. A dispute between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas has led to worsening outages. Gaza's electricity is supplied by Israel, but the PA stopped paying for it because it wants Hamas to share the costs. The result has left many people in the dark, with some blackouts lasting as long as 24 hours.
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Summers in the Gaza are extremely hot. This year it has been made worse with energy cuts that have limited residents to only a few hours of electricity a day.
Photo:Reuters
A woman bathes a child in a tub of water to cool him off amidst Gaza's punishing summer, made worse by the power cuts
Photo:Reuters
The temperature can reach as high as 95 Fahrenheit, so desperate families head to the beach to cool off. The power cuts mean the waste treatment plants aren't functioning well. Raw sewage has been dumped along the coast, 75 percent of the seawater is believed to be polluted.
Photo:Reuters
Even the hospitals have to use generators to deal with the power cuts. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reduced the amount his government pays to Israel for electricity. He hopes it will help force Hamas out of the Gaza
Photo:Reuters
With no electricity for fans, the heat inside of homes is unbearable. Some prefer to sleep on the floor atop cool tiles
Photo:Reuters
A man sleeps, while his cat keeps watch
Photo:Reuters
A child plays in the dark. People have resorted to using rechargable lights and fans to cope with the dark and the heat
Photo:Reuters
A mother and child highlighted in the doorway of their dimly flat
Photo:Reuters
A woman washes dishes in the dark
Photo:Reuters
The silhouettes of two children playing by a window
Photo:Reuters