Gaza Herald – Gaza’s cooking gas crisis deepened this week as no new shipments entered the Strip, leaving residents struggling to meet daily needs for cooking and basic commercial activities.
The shortage intensified after Israeli authorities closed crossings for three days following the start of the Israeli-American escalation on Iran, later allowing only a limited number of aid and goods trucks, none carrying cooking gas.
Over four recent days, Gaza received 16 trucks on the first day, 277 on the second, 165 on the third, and just 33 on the fourth, without a single shipment of cooking gas. The Strip requires roughly 260 tons daily, yet pre-closure deliveries rarely met even 20% of monthly needs.
The ongoing shortage forced the Palestinian Petroleum Authority to temporarily suspend gas distribution lists, while black-market prices surged from 40 to 75 shekels per kilogram, directly affecting food and service costs.
Bakeries, restaurants, and other small businesses relying on gas reported dwindling reserves, with some warning of reduced hours or closures if the supply disruption continues.
The shortfall reflects broader humanitarian constraints: only 25% of promised aid shipments have entered Gaza since the October ceasefire, leaving over two million Palestinians at the mercy of limited resources.
