Israel cuts off Gaza power supplies

CAIRO, Mar 10 (TASS): The Palestinian Hamas movement has condemned the Israeli authorities' decision to cut off electricity supplies to the enclave, calling it a "gross violation" of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, according to movement spokesman Izzat al-Risheq.

"Israel's latest actions constitute a blatant violation of all signed agreements as well as international law, once again proving that the other side is not fulfilling its part of the agreements," reads a statement issued on Hamas' official Telegram channel on behalf of al-Risheq. He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to delay the implementation of the agreement on Gaza and attempting to "impose a new plan that serves only his own interests."

Earlier on Sunday, Israel's state broadcaster Kan reported that Energy Minister Eli Cohen had ordered the cessation of electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip. Kan noted that Israel had been supplying electricity to operate a desalination plant in the central part of the enclave. However, most of Gaza's power is produced by local generators, for which fuel has not arrived in the enclave for a week.

In mid-January, Israel and Hamas reached an Egypt-, Qatar-, and US-brokered three-stage agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza and declare a ceasefire in the enclave. The three-phase deal took effect on January 19. The initial 42-day phase of the ceasefire ended on March 1.

All the living Israeli hostages and the bodies of those deceased that were supposed to be handed over in the first stage were returned to Israel. In exchange, Israel released over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners.

On March 2, Israel suspended humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and closed all checkpoints, citing Hamas's refusal to accept US Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff's plan to continue Gaza ceasefire talks.