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Israel begins reducing electricity to Gaza

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Israel began complying with a request from the Palestinian Authority (PA) yesterday to reduce the amount of electricity provided to Gaza.

In a statement, Palestinian Energy and Natural Resources Authority (PENRA) confirmed that this was the “initial step” in a series of reductions that will “gradually” implement the PA’s request for Israel to significantly cut down the amount of electricity they supply to Gaza.

PENRA spokesperson Mohammad Thabbet said Gaza would see between two and three hours of electricity each day once Israel finished its reductions. Yesterday’s initial reduction was by eight megawatts-hour.

The request by PA President Mahmoud Abbas to reduce the electricity supply was approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet on 11 June.

Abbas’s request was part of escalating tensions between his Fatah party and Hamas, which seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in a violent coup in 2007. The move is intended to force Hamas to cede control of Gaza or begin paying for the electricity bill itself.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said Israel would “bear responsibility for the consequences of the reduction” because it “levies taxes on crossings [into Gaza] that are enough for Gaza’s electricity and more”.

Israel deducts around NIS 40m to cover the cost of electricity from the money it transfers to the PA each month, but Abbas has requested Israel reduce the electricity supplied to Gaza by 40 per cent and deduct only NIS 25m from the monthly payment to the PA.

Various estimates by Israel and the PA speculate that Hamas raises NIS 100m each month from taxing Gaza residents, much of which is spent on constructing its underground tunnel network and replenishing its missile arsenal rather than paying for electricity.

UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories Robert Piper said in a statement that further blackouts could lead to a complete failure of basic services, including water, sanitation and essential medical facilities.

Yossi Inbar, former Director General of Israel’s Environmental Protection ministry, warned that reducing the electricity supply to Gaza could cause illnesses for Israelis living near the border, owing to a backlog of raw sewage preventing the use of Israel’s desalination plant.