To not understand why the Palestinians did not put up solar panel farms

[emilysquest]

This may be naive in the extreme, but I was reading the reports this morning that Gaza will run out of power today, which is horrific. I dread to think what is going to happen now to those poor people.

This caused me to think: We happen to be in the process of making ourselves completely self-sufficient (off-grid) using solar panels (and some wind), and this is in Ireland, so not a sunny place like Palestine.

My question is, given the Gaza Strip was always dependent on power from Israel, which they regard (rightly) as a hostile country, why have they not in all the years sought to become self-sufficient (or at least more self-sufficient) with regard to power, to prevent the kind of blockade they are experiencing now?

Actually an allied question for those who know would be: travelling in eastern Europe recently, especially Bulgaria, there are huge solar farms everywhere. I have not been to the Middle East (well not since I was a baby), but do they use solar at all? It would seem to be an obvious choice given the climate.

Suspect it's to do with lack of resources like solar panels, batteries, the material to set up the infrastructure.

People in Gaza strip rely heavily on humanitarian aid, they don't have access to enough clean water let alone supplies to put in place enough solar panels to provide electric to a couple of million people.

Hamas has used all humanitarian aid for terrorist attack. ex. building materials intended for houses used to tunnel under Israel. Resources aren't distributed and used as intended, everything is either hoarded by those in the highest positions or used for attack.

Who gets the aid and how do they spend it?

If it’s Hamas getting funds it’s unlikely to go to people beyond recruiting and weapons

I get that, but Hamas seem to have garnered enough money from Iran and other mysterious backers to arm themselves to the teeth. Surely they could have appealed to their friends for money for infrastructure? Individual people/families wouldn't in general be able to put solar on their houses to be sure, but why would the rulers (I won't say government since they are not an elected government in the real sense of the word) not seek to protect an enclave encircled by a hostile power by at least building power resilience?

Israel would probably bomb them. If Israel wants to put the Palestinians under maximum pressure, including cutting off electricity, they'd be targeting solar panel farms right now, should they exist.

Do you have any idea how small Gaza is and how densely populated? How on earth would you find the space?

I think this is a stupid and goady post from the OP.

Yeah - they should have got solar panel farms sorted

Really??

Being 'armed to the teeth' is not working out well for them at the moment either.

The whole situation is a mess.

Um....they don't have the space for massive solar farms? Do you know anything about the actual size and population density of Gaza?

let me guess, you also wonder why poor people don't just pick blackberries to feed their family

I know. All that room they’ve got.

Exactly this ^^
You need to look at just how densely overpopulated Gaza is OP, there’s barely any green spaces and certainly not the money or the infrastructure needed to support solar farms.

Have you seen the size of Gaza and how many people live in it?!

This.
Gaza gets more humanitarian aid per capita than any other nation or refugee group on earth. Sadly for the people there Hamas siphon it off for weapons, to pay suicide attackers or prisoners or just to line their own pockets.

When Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005 they left lots of infrastructure including a water treatment plant etc. the first thing Hamas did when they got into power was blow it up. Now they get their electricity, water and medical supplies from Israel. whilst i think it's awful for Israel to cut innocent people off I have to ask what other country is expected to supply humanitarian aid, water and electricity to their enemy state?

Putting aside lack of disposable income, jobs, education, investment, govt subsidies... There's no land and not suitable rooftops. It's one of the most crowded & densely built places in the world.

PS OP is being unreasonable. it's very easy to live "off the grid" when you have the resources to invest to allow you to do it. most poor people don't and this is a very privileged and out of touch with reality question

I am not trying to be goady at all. I was just wondering, in light of the news today, how the impending humanitarian catastrophe might have been prevented if one went back a few years. Because I am in the middle of building a solar system in a very non-sunny countey, my mind went to "would this not be a consideration in the Middle East?". That's all.

This! OP have you seen photos of the Gaza strip?

To be fair on the OP, a lot of people don't know what conditions are like on the Gaza Strip.

I had a young guy telling me once: if the Palestinians don't like it, they should just move out. As though they aren't effectively trapped.

How wonderul that you have the space and money to do this.

Where would they put them in Gaza? It is one of the most densely populated areas on earth. There are no fields, or gardens. Their government is a terrorist organisation. They don't have enough water. They're not cosy middle classes in leafy Britain, these are literally people just trying to survive each day - and not knowing if they will

Putting aside evil corrupt Hamas, half of Gaza's population is < 19 yrs old. Do we really expect children to have put up solar farms?

If you've given this any thought at all, surely you'd first of all have looked at the size of the Gaza Strip before suggesting huge solar farms?

I've never been to Gaza, but was struck when in Jordan recently by the lack of solar panels, apart from a few on the roofs of tourist hotels. There is lots of space in Jordan and it's much more stable than Gaza. Seems like an obvious thing to install, but interested to hear from anyone who knows about solar whether there are obvious barriers I don't know about.

I am not suggesting civilians build solar farms in their vast leafy gardens with their abundant disposable income. I am asking why their leaders did not over the last 20 years build some sustainable infrastructure. Its a completely different question.

Humanitarian Aid never comes in the volume required to bring a country up to the latest standards of technology and development, just to help with the very basics.

Even if the funds were not misused it would be impossible for the country to allocate those funds to technology development when they are struggling to have enough food and water.

@emilysquest that's been answered too. cos the government is a terrorist organisation that doesn't give a shit about their people other than using them as human shields or canon fodder.