Gaza: 'Everything in crisis' as Israel, Hamas talks continue

As indirect negotiations between Israel and the militant group Hamas continue in Doha, ordinary Palestinians say the ceasefire in Gaza is starting to feel more and more hollow.

"I don't know what to say. There is simply no life. There is nothing we don't struggle with," Walaa Mahmoud, told DW by phone from Gaza City. 

Mahmoud, who works for a civil society organization, says prices have skyrocketed in recent weeks.

"Pick anything — we lack clean water, there is no electricity, medical treatment is difficult to obtain, roads are in poor condition, prices are soaring, transportation is unavailable and security is nonexistent. Everything is in crisis." 

This was echoed by Walid Abu Daqqa, a father of four from Gaza City whose house was completely destroyed during the war and who is now staying with relatives.

"We used to endure bombings and death. Now, there is poverty, high prices, exploitation, and harsh conditions that dominate our lives. My children can't attend school, and there's no functioning health care system if I fall ill. And the threat of war looms due to the absence of agreements [between Israel and Hamas]," Abu Daqqa told DW. 

He also said the situation contributed to "greed and corruption" in all areas and accused merchants of "exploiting the situation" after the border crossings were closed.

"There is no justice, even in the distribution of aid, and there are even fees to withdraw money from banks. Nothing is normal here."

Crossings closed as first phase of ceasefire ends

Israel closed its crossings with Gaza and cut off all aid supplies after the formal end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement in early March. On Sunday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced that he had ordered the Israeli Electric Corporation to stop selling electricity to Gaza, even though the Israeli authorities had already cut off the electricity supply in October 2023.

In response, Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly two decades, accused Israel of a "breach of the ceasefire deal" and "using aid as a political blackmail card" over its decision to stop aid and to pressure it into accepting a new framework to extend the expired first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal. 

The Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of stealing aid supplies for profit. It also claims to have allowed enough aid into Gaza to last several months, adding that it is under no obligation to continue providing assistance once the first phase of the ceasefire ends. 

The first 42-day phase expired in early March, and negotiations on the second phase of the agreement, which would have seen the remaining 59 hostages Hamas took during the October 7, 2023 attacks released, Israeli forces withdrawn and talks on ending the war, do not appear to have materialized.

For many in Gaza, it is a reminder of when Israel cut off all supplies in the early days of the 15-month war that the Hamas-led attacks on communities in southern Israel triggered.

No electricity in Gaza

However, the latest move affects only one functioning power line (restored in November 2024) supplying electricity to a desalination plant in Deir al Balah in central Gaza. Since the start of the war, Gazans have had no electricity at all, mainly relying on diesel-powered generators or small solar panels. The territory's power infrastructure was largely damaged by the war, and the supply of electricity was already limited before.

According to Gisha, an Israeli NGO that works to protect the right of movement of Palestinians in Gaza, the desalination plant supplied the area with 18,000 cubic meters (4.8 million gallons) of water a day. After the power cut, the plant is expected to run on generators, reducing output to around 2,500 cubic meters. The United Nations estimates that the amount of drinking water available in southern Gaza will be significantly reduced, affecting around 600,000 people.

And this is just one more challenge for aid workers. "We are already feeling the effects," as Amjad Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO network, told DW by phone from Gaza City.

"You need fuel for generators and that comes from the crossings. And according to different organizations, we only have a limited amount of fuel for the next few days. Some bakeries in central and southern Gaza have already stopped working because they lack cooking gas."

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on March 11 that "fuel for back-up generators at water and health facilities is running low, cooking fuel prices are rising and distribution of flour, fresh produce and shelter materials has been disrupted."

OCHA also reported that aid agencies could not retrieve cargo that entered the Kerem Shalom crossing before it was closed 10 days ago.

International criticism has no impact on Israeli actions

Israel has faced international criticism over suspending supplies.

"Humanitarian aid in Gaza is a lifeline for over two million Palestinians who have endured unimaginable conditions for many months. A sustained supply of aid is indispensable to their survival," Muhannad Hadi, the UN's humanitarian coordinator, said in a statement on Monday.

"International humanitarian law is clear: civilians' essential needs must be met, including through the unimpeded entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance."

The allegation of starvation as a method of warfare is central to South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide, which Israel denies. It is also part of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) case against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for whom the ICC issued arrest warrants last year.

The decision to cut the last remaining electricity line was also criticized by hostage families, who petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice to reverse the decision, as reported in the daily newspaper Haaretz. They cited the testimony of former hostages who said any such government decisions inherently lead to retaliatory responses and abuse by Hamas. 

Huge humanitarian needs in an unpredictable environment

Aid workers like Shawa say they could go on for hours describing the many issues that need to be addressed: The lack of housing and shelter, the shortage of fresh water, the garbage piled up everywhere, the problem of unexploded ordnance, the bodies of people killed in air strikes still buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings. And then there is the threat of another war.

"There is also the psychological situation of the people. Every day we have a new announcement from the Israelis about getting back to war. Most of the people now live on the rubble of their homes, in very critical humanitarian conditions. And day by day, we're losing the capacity to deal with these big needs," Shawa told DW.

In recent days, Israel has also intensified its air and artillery strikes on Gaza. There are almost daily reports of casualties, adding to an already fragile situation.

"What we have today is different from tomorrow, there's nothing we can plan for," said Shawa. "We are doing our best and we have very resilient people here, but the needs are huge."

Hazem Balousha contributed to this report.

Edited by: Jon Shelton