FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has signed an order to immediately cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip, according to reports by public broadcaster Kan.
The decision, announced on the messaging platform X, comes as Israel and Hamas engage in negotiations to extend the ceasefire, which ended last weekend.
The electricity cutoff is expected to have severe consequences for the approximately two million residents of Gaza, who already rely heavily on generators and solar panels due to the region’s devastation from ongoing conflict.
Essential facilities, such as water purification plants, depend on electricity to provide clean drinking water.
This move follows Israel’s decision last week to halt all supplies to Gaza, increasing pressure on Hamas during the ceasefire discussions.
Talks are ongoing, with mediators aiming to bridge the gap between Hamas’s call for a second-phase agreement and Israel’s preference to extend the initial phase.