How a simple lighter has become the backbone of life in Gaza

In Gaza, a small, worn lighter has transformed from a cheap commodity into a vital lifeline, central to the daily survival of families like Rabab Deifallah's. The mother of five clutches her battered lighter, repeatedly trying to strike a spark to ignite a stove for warmth and cooking. Since Israel's war on Gaza began in October 2023, new lighters have become nearly impossible to find, and her son has repaired her old one multiple times.

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I get breathless just climbing two flights of stairs these days. I know I need to exercise, but I really don't have the time.

Firewood is now indispensable for Rabab, used for baking bread, heating water, preparing food, and making tea. "Our whole daily life depends on fire," she told Al Jazeera, "But getting a fire started begins with a lighter, and this small object has become one of the hardest things to find in Gaza." Before the war, lighters were so inexpensive that she bought three for less than $1. Today, a new lighter costs between $27 and $33, while Rabab spent $12 to repair her old one, forcing a difficult choice: "Should I spend that amount on a lighter, or should I buy a bag of flour?"

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Our whole daily life depends on fire. But getting a fire started begins with a lighter and this small object has become one of the hardest things to find in Gaza.

Limited funds mean lighters are often shared among families in different tents. Some days, Rabab cannot find one at all, forcing her family to eat cold food or wait to borrow a spark from a neighbor. She sometimes sends a piece of cardboard to a neighbor to carry a flame back home, or asks to use their oven if they are baking bread. This single lighter represents the starting point for fire, food, and hot water.

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Should I spend that amount on a lighter, or should I buy a bag of flour?

Nearby, Hasnaa Mansour, 43, faces similar struggles. Displaced from Jabalia refugee camp, she relies on a clay oven and has repeatedly repaired her lighter because buying a new one is unaffordable. The shortage of cooking gas compounds the problem: while gas requires only a small spark, her oven needs a substantial fire. "I've been sitting here since the morning and by 10 o'clock I still couldn't light it," she lamented, highlighting the daily battle for basic necessities in Gaza.

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With gas, all you need is a small spark to light it. But with the oven, I need a real fire.