DaysofPal- The Hamas Movement stated that Israel has effectively cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war in October 2023. This statement came in response to Israel’s recent announcement to immediately halt the supply of electricity to the region.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem condemned the move, describing it as part of Israel’s ongoing “genocide war” against Gaza.
He criticized the decision as a deliberate starvation policy that disregards international laws and norms. Qassem called for the immediate implementation of the Arab summit’s recommendations to lift the siege and halt the campaign of starvation against Gaza.
Although Israel’s official announcement came on Sunday, electricity supplies to Gaza have been virtually nonexistent since the war began in October 2023. The new directive from Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen came a week after Israel also halted all aid supplies to the territory, which is home to more than two million people.
The ongoing 15-month conflict has caused extensive damage to Gaza’s infrastructure, severely disrupting basic services. While generators and solar panels are being used to supplement the power supply, Gaza has been facing a “chronic electricity deficit” for over a decade. In 2022, Palestinians in Gaza received only an average of 12 hours of electricity per day, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The electricity crisis has had a devastating impact on essential services, especially water supply. Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, stated that Israel’s decision to cut off electricity means that desalination stations are not functioning, resulting in a lack of clean water.
She also pointed out that countries failing to impose sanctions or an arms embargo on Israel are “aiding and assisting Israel in the commission of one of the most preventable genocides in history.”
Human Rights Watch reports that Israel has intentionally severed most water access for Palestinians in Gaza by blocking pipelines and destroying solar panels that powered water pumps, desalination plants, and waste management facilities, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
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