According to an analysis by AFP utilising NASA satellite data, the Gaza Strip has experienced a significant reduction in nighttime brightness, appearing seven times dimmer since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023, primarily due to ongoing electricity shortages attributed to Israeli actions.
Satellite images from January to May this year reveal a stark contrast to the five months before the conflict, depicting a territory engulfed in darkness.
The nighttime brightness of Gaza City has diminished significantly, decreasing by a factor of 16 over the specified period.
One power facility
Statistics from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveal that in 2022, the Palestinian territory received electricity for an average of 12 hours each day.
The figure is projected to decline to zero in 2024.
The conflict in Gaza ignited following Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to the loss of 1,219 lives, predominantly among civilians, as reported by an AFP count derived from official statistics.
According to the health ministry in the territory governed by Hamas, Israel’s retaliatory campaign has resulted in the deaths of at least 60,034 individuals, the majority of whom are reported to be civilians.
From the outset of the conflict, Israel implemented stringent restrictions on the Gaza Strip, notably affecting fuel supplies.
Gaza’s only power plant ceased operations at the onset of the conflict, primarily due to a shortage of fuel, while power lines from Israel have also been severed.
In 2022, these two sources together fulfilled 43 percent of Gaza’s electricity demand, leaving a significant portion unmet.
– As dark as a desert –
The AFP analyzed NASA’s Black Marble project, which provides near-daily measurements of ground radiance, specifically the intensity of luminous radiation emitted per unit area.
The system facilitates the measurement of radiance at 2,100 distinct locations throughout the Palestinian territory, with each point positioned 500 metres apart.
The data indicates a significant decline in radiance occurring between October 10 and October 11, 2023, coinciding with the shutdown of Gaza’s only power plant.
Once vibrant populated areas within the territory have now become as dimly lit as the adjacent desert regions, such as the Sinai Peninsula, following the war.
In the analysis of Black Marble’s data, it becomes evident that only specific locations, particularly hospitals with generators, can be discerned during nighttime observations.
In a striking observation, the European Hospital is projected to be 70 percent more visible from January to May 2025 compared to the surrounding areas of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
The Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border, has seen a consistent pattern of nighttime lighting, a situation overseen by the Israeli military.
At the southeast end, the Kerem Shalom crossing, utilised by humanitarian aid trucks, stands out as the only area that appears more vibrant today compared to the period preceding the war.
