Over a fire fed by scraps of wood, Bilal Abuassi heats a large metal barrel filled with shredded plastic waste that is eventually converted into fuel.
Amid the ongoing Israeli war and strict blockade, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have improvised a new method to produce fuel used to power transportation and generators.
“We collect plastic materials, including barrels, plates, toys, and household items," Abuassi told Middle East Eye.
"Some of these are gathered from waste and the streets, and sometimes from bombed homes, where we find damaged water barrels and plastic fragments,” he said.
At other times, they buy these materials from residents at very low prices.
