How a Simple Lighter Has Become the Backbone of Life in Gaza

In the midst of Gaza’s ongoing conflict, a simple object has become an unlikely lifeline for families struggling to survive: the lighter. For mothers like Rabab Deifallah, who must carefully tend to her battered lighter as it becomes increasingly difficult to find or afford a new one, this seemingly mundane item has taken on extraordinary significance.

The lighter shortage is just one symptom of Gaza’s broader crisis. Restrictions imposed by Israel’s siege have choked off the territory’s supply chains, leaving essential goods in short supply and prices skyrocketing. The United Nations estimates that over 30,000 trucks entered Gaza during the first five months of this year – an average of barely 200 per day, far below pre-war levels.

For families like Rabab’s, who rely on firewood for cooking, heating water, and baking bread, a lighter is not just a convenience but a matter of life and death. With cooking gas in short supply, the humble flame of a lighter has become an essential tool for survival. As Rabab put it, “Our whole daily life depends on fire… But getting a fire started begins with a lighter.”

The shortage has given rise to a new profession: lighter repair. Tamer Al-Shawish, a 24-year-old father of two, turned to repairing lighters after the war forced him out of his previous job as a driver. With parts and materials scarce, fixing a lighter can be a time-consuming and often fruitless endeavor – but it’s cheaper than buying a new one at exorbitant prices.

For families living in camps like Al-Karmel School, sharing a single lighter among several tents has become a daily struggle. Shadi Abu Shamlah described the situation despairingly: “The whole school here… you wouldn’t find more than four lighters.”

As the international community grapples with the humanitarian implications of this crisis, it’s worth remembering that Gaza is not just a symbol of Palestinian suffering – it’s also a reminder of our collective failure to address the root causes of conflict. The siege has been in place for years, and yet we continue to prioritize short-term fixes over long-term solutions.

The human cost of this crisis cannot be overstated. Families like Rabab’s and Shadi’s rely on the spark of survival – however small it may seem – as their only lifeline. For them, a lighter is not just an object but a means of staying alive. As Tamer Al-Shawish said, “The war has forced us into jobs and work we never knew before.” But it’s not just the war that has changed – it’s also our collective responsibility to act.

We must do better than offer platitudes or short-term fixes; we must work towards a future where lighters are no longer the backbone of life in Gaza. The choice is ours: will we rise to this challenge, or will we continue to stand by as Gaza struggles to survive?