LONDON: Palestinians in the embattled Gaza Strip once flicked a lighter or pushed a button to make tea. Now, brewing a single cup can take mother of four Maysa Yousef nearly an hour as wartime shortages turn a simple flame into a luxury.
As Israel’s war in Gaza grinds on, shortages of gas, a near-total power blackout and tight restrictions on goods entering the enclave have transformed routine tasks into daily struggles.
“Before the war we only used lighters occasionally because we relied on gas stoves, which ignited easily using a button,” Yousef told Arab News.
That changed after Oct. 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led attack in Israel triggered Israel’s large-scale military campaign. At first, households still had some cooking gas, but as cylinders emptied and supplies dwindled, families were forced to improvise.
“That’s when lighters became essential,” Yousef said. “At first they were still available, so some people stocked up. I bought a few whenever shipments came in, as much as I could afford, since cash has been hard to come by.”
