140 MW of which it was originally capable following the war, and had to rely on expensive imported diesel fuel.105 On 16 April 2017, the energy plant had to close due to lack of fuel, leaving the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip without one third of the energy normally available.106 Consequently, the population of Gaza suffers daily power outages that can last 12 to 16 hours.107 The living conditions created by this lack of power are becoming unbearable and significantly contribute to a coercive environment, particularly in Gaza. Israel’s denial of energy, specifically natural gas, has a severe impact on the provision of services by the Palestinian authorities in Gaza. By illegally denying access to this natural resource, Israel is also in violation of its obligations as an Occupying Power, as not only is it not providing services to the occupied population, but is preventing the PA from doing so as well since they cannot use the gas for electricity. The power cuts that leave at least one-third of Gaza’s population without electricity at all times have affected nearly every part of daily life in the home. A mere few hours a day of electricity is insufficient for the use of appliances that perform essential functions, such as refrigerators and heaters.108 Those living in homes without sufficient heat in the cold winter are forced to endure critical health conditions; for example, in the winter of 2015 five children died of hypothermia.109 Expensive back-up generators, which are often used to supply additional energy, come with their own dangers. Dozens of Palestinians have been either injured or killed by carbon monoxide poisoning, explosions and fires caused by their use.110 Others have died in fires caused by the use of candles or other methods of generating light and heat. According to al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, 29 Palestinians, mostly children, have been killed by fire since 2010, including three toddlers who burned to death in May 2016 after a candle fell in their bedroom. This situation produces intense anxiety in those forced to rely on fire for heat and light. As Mazen Abu Reyala, a father of five children, expressed: “Should I wait until we get burned? Should I wait 105 Boersma and Natan, Gaza Marine, 5, supra note 96. 106 OCHA oPt, The Humanitarian Impact of Gaza’s Electricity and Fuel Crisis, United Nations, May 2017, available at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/Gaza%20Electricity%20Crisis.pdf [accessed 15 August 2017] [hereinafter OCHA, Impact of Gaza’s Electricity Crisis]. 107 Ibid. 108 B’Tselem, “Israel Cannot Shirk Its Responsibility for Gaza’s Electricity Crisis,”16 January 2017, available at: http://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20170117_electricity_crisis [accessed 18 August 2017]. 109 “Father Finds Five-Month-Old Son Frozen to Death in Gaza,” NBC News, 20 January 2015, available at: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/father-finds-five-month-old-son-frozendeath-gaza-n289371 [accessed 18 August 2017]. 110 OCHA oPt, Gaza’s Electricity Crisis: The Impact of Electricity Cuts on the Humanitarian Situation, May 2010, available at: https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/4EE272272D04A3D08525771C0067F100 [accessed 18 August 2017]. 35