Israel cuts electricity to Gaza amid ceasefire standoff as humanitarian crisis deepens

The impact of the move remains unclear, but Gaza’s desalination plants rely on electricity to produce drinking water. The decision comes a week after Israel halted all supplies of goods to the region, home to more than two million people.

Israel is using these measures to pressure Hamas into accepting an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire, which ended last weekend. Israel has proposed releasing half of the remaining hostages in exchange for a commitment to negotiate a lasting truce. However, Hamas has pushed for immediate negotiations on the ceasefire’s second phase, which includes the release of all hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and a permanent peace agreement.

Hamas is believed to be holding 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. On Sunday, the group announced that it had completed the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changing its position, calling for the immediate start of phase two negotiations.

Israel’s energy minister has now issued a letter instructing the Israel Electric Corporation to stop selling power to Gaza. This move follows earlier warnings that water and electricity supplies could be cut off after the suspension of goods shipments.

Gaza has been devastated by the war, with residents relying on generators and solar panels for power. The ceasefire temporarily halted the deadliest and most destructive fighting between Israel and Hamas, which began with Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. During the first phase of the ceasefire, 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others were returned in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli forces have since withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza for the first time since early in the war. Aid shipments had been increasing until Israel suspended supplies again.

The White House recently confirmed direct US talks with Hamas. On Sunday, US envoy Adam Boehler told CNN: “I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they’re not part of the political party going forward. I think that’s a reality. It’s real close.”

Asked if he would engage with Hamas again, Boehler responded: “You never know.” He added that “something could come together within weeks” and expressed hope for a deal that would lead to the release of all hostages, not just American ones.

Hamas has reiterated its support for a proposal to establish an independent committee of technocrats to govern Gaza until Palestinians can hold presidential and legislative elections. The committee would operate under the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is based in the occupied West Bank. Israel has rejected any PA involvement in postwar Gaza but has not proposed an alternative governance plan.

The war began when Hamas launched an attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most of the hostages have since been released through ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has since killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

With the latest supply cutoff, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases and dwindling resources, sparking renewed fears of worsening conditions.

“Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,” said Fares al-Qeisi, a resident of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. “I swear to God, one could not satisfy their hunger.”