- Israel cuts electricity to Gaza, increasing pressure on Hamas to release hostages.
- Ceasefire talks set to resume in Qatar as Hamas insists on advancing to the second phase.
- UN warns that blocking essential supplies to civilians could amount to collective punishment.
Israel ordered a complete cutoff of electricity supply to Gaza on Sunday, aiming to increase pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages held in the territory.
Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced the move a week after Israel halted all aid deliveries to Gaza, home to more than two million people. In a video statement, Cohen declared, “We will use all the tools at our disposal to bring back the hostages and ensure that Hamas is no longer in Gaza the day after [the war].”
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The power shutdown is expected to have a severe impact on desalination plants, which are critical for providing clean drinking water. The Israeli government has not ruled out cutting off water supplies as well. “I have just signed the order to stop supplying electricity immediately to the Gaza Strip,” Cohen said.
Israel had already cut most of Gaza’s mains electricity supply earlier in the war. The latest decision comes as ceasefire negotiations are set to resume in Qatar on Monday. While Israel seeks an extension of the ceasefire’s first phase, Hamas insists on advancing to the second phase, which includes the release of remaining hostages, an Israeli military withdrawal, and a permanent end to the war.
Hamas is believed to be holding 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others. The group warned that further supply cuts would impact the hostages and stated on Sunday that recent ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators ended without changes to its stance. Hamas continues to demand an immediate start to the second phase of the truce.
Gaza’s infrastructure has been devastated by the war, with power now largely reliant on generators and solar panels. Israel’s decision to sever electricity supplies has drawn international criticism. The United Nations human rights office warned on Friday that “any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment.”
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Hamas has reiterated support for a technocratic committee to govern Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority (PA) until Palestinian elections can be held. Israel, however, has rejected any PA involvement while offering no clear alternative for post-war governance.
The ongoing war follows Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel—mostly civilians—and saw 251 taken hostage. While many hostages have been freed through ceasefire deals, others remain captive. In response, Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were militants.
