TEL AVIV, Israel – According to officials, Israel cut off Gaza’s electricity supply on Sunday, affecting a desalination plant that provides drinking water to parts of the arid territory. Hamas described it as part of Israel’s “starvation policy.”
Israel last week halted supplies to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, resembling the siege imposed in the early days of the conflict.
Israel is pressuring the militants to accept an extension of the first phase of their cease-fire. That phase concluded last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of its remaining hostages in exchange for a promise to negotiate a long-term truce.
Instead, Hamas wants to begin negotiations on the more difficult second phase of the ceasefire, which would include the release of remaining hostages in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and long-term peace. Hamas is thought to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 more.
The militant group, which has warned that cutting off supplies would harm the hostages, said Sunday that it had concluded the most recent round of cease-fire talks with Egyptian mediators without changing its position.
Israel has announced that it will send a delegation to Qatar on Monday to “advance” the negotiations.
Israel had warned when it cut off all supplies that water and electricity could be next. The letter from Israel’s energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation instructs it to stop selling power to Gaza.
The territory and its infrastructure have been extensively damaged, and most facilities, including hospitals, now rely on generators. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassam stated that Israel has “practically” cut off electricity since the war began, and that the latest decision is part of Israel’s “starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.”
According to Gisha, an Israeli organisation dedicated to protecting Palestinians’ freedom of movement, the desalination plant provided 18,000 cubic meters of water per day to central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area. According to executive director Tania Hary, it will be powered by generators and produce approximately 2,500 cubic meters per day, which is equivalent to the capacity of an Olympic swimming pool.
Israel’s restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a greater impact, Hary said, and water shortages are looming because fuel is required for distribution trucks.
Israel has faced harsh criticism for suspending supplies.
“Any denial of entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,” the U.N. human rights office stated on Friday.
When it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year, the International Criminal Court stated that there was reason to believe Israel had used “starvation as a method of warfare”. The allegation is central to South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice, where it accuses Israel of genocide.
Israel has denied the accusations, claiming that it has allowed in enough aid and that shortages are the result of the United Nations’ inability to distribute it properly. It also accused Hamas of syphoning aid.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, warned Friday that attacks on Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid was not restored to Gaza. The Houthis claimed that their previous attacks were in solidarity with Palestinians in the area.
The ceasefire has halted the deadliest and most destructive fighting between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, with a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel. In the first phase, 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 withdrawn to buffer zones within Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza, and hundreds of trucks of aid have entered each day until Israel suspends deliveries.
US envoy describes talks with Hamas
On Wednesday, the White House surprised everyone by confirming direct US talks with Hamas.
On Sunday, envoy Adam Boehler told Israeli broadcaster Kan that Hamas has proposed a five- to ten-year truce in which it would disarm. The militant group has previously declared disarmament unacceptable.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss contacts with the United States, said the group has long stated that it will lay down its arms in exchange for a “fair and just solution” that includes an independent Palestinian state.
Boehler also told CNN that “I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, Hamas surrenders their arms, and they agree not to be part of the political party going forward.” I believe that is a reality. It is very close.
When asked if he would speak with the militant group again, Boehler said, “You never know.”
He added, “I think something could come together within weeks,” and expressed hope for a deal in which all hostages, not just Americans, would be released. Boehler has stated that four of the five American hostages in Gaza have died, while Edan Alexander remains alive.
On Sunday, Hamas made no mention of the talks but reiterated its support for a proposal to form an independent committee of technocrats to run Gaza until Palestinians hold presidential and legislative elections.
In October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, and kidnapped 251 others. The majority have been released as part of cease-fire agreements or other arrangements.
Many Israelis are pushing for a deal to bring everyone home. “We are here to send a clear message to the Israeli government: stop stalling,” Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of slain hostage Avraham Munder, said in front of tents erected outside Israel’s defence ministry during one demonstration.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, the majority of whom are women and children. The number of militants killed is unknown.
With supplies cut off to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month.
“Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved slightly. But before that, the situation was dire,” said Fares al-Qeisi from the southern city of Khan Younis.
