Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza, worsening humanitarian crisis.
The decision comes after aid was blocked from entering the Gaza Strip, intensifying tensions in the region.
247 - The Israeli government announced on Sunday (9) the immediate cutting off of electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, a measure that worsens the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. The decision was communicated by the Minister of Energy, Eli Cohen, through a video published on the social network X (formerly Twitter), where he stated that the order had already been signed and would take effect immediately. The information was released by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, by Lusa.
“I have signed an order to immediately cut off the electricity in the Gaza Strip – enough talk, it’s time to act,” Cohen declared. He added that Israel will use “all means at its disposal to ensure the return of all Israeli hostages” and stated that “Hamas will not remain in Gaza after the war.”
According to a HaaretzThe only electricity that Israel still supplied to the Gaza Strip was for the operation of the sewage treatment plant, a service that will also be interrupted by this new decision. The few hospitals that continue to operate in the Palestinian territory now depend exclusively on fuel-powered generators, the scarcity of which is already compromising medical care.
The move comes a week after Israel banned humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip, a decision Hamas described as "a blatant attempt to evade the ceasefire agreement and avoid entering into negotiations for the second phase."
“With the end of phase 1 (...), Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided that, as of this morning, all entry of goods and supplies into the Gaza Strip will cease,” declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in an official statement on March 2nd.
The ceasefire temporarily halted the deadliest fighting ever recorded between Israel and Hamas, which began after the Palestinian group's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1.200 people, mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of 251 hostages. Since then, most of those kidnapped have been released through ceasefire agreements or other negotiations.
On the other hand, Israeli bombings in Gaza have already left a death toll of over 48.000, mostly women and children, according to data from the Palestinian territory's Ministry of Health. The escalation of the conflict and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the region continue to generate international condemnation and calls for a permanent ceasefire.
