Israel says it will cut off electricity to Gaza Strip

Israel said Sunday that it would be cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza.

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said he signed an order that would shut off electricity to Gaza “immediately.”

“Enough with the talk, it’s time for action!” he said in a post online.

The full effects of the order are not immediately clear, but the power in Gaza fueled drinking water production, The Associated Press reported.

It comes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the country would be halting the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza until the Palestinian militant group Hamas agrees to the next phase in the ceasefire plan.

 Tensions in the region are high, and the deal is at a fragile point.

Hamas accused Israel of trying to derail the agreement, and the group characterized the electricity cutoff as part of Israel’s “starvation policy,” the AP reported.

Hazem Qassem, a spokesperson for Hamas, said the cutoff is part of Israel’s starvation policy that is “in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.”

Hamas wants negotiations to begin, which would release the remaining hostages in Gaza.

Israel said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday “in an effort to advance the negotiations” on the ceasefire.  

According to the Israel Electric Corporation, as far as they know, the electricity cutoff will only affect a wastewater treatment plant, the AP noted.

The halt of aid and electricity to thousands of Gazans in need after months of destruction is a significant one, even though Hamas refuses to agree to the current deal.

The first phase of the ceasefire deal began in January, just before President Trump began his second term. It expired earlier this month, and neither side has been able to agree on the details of the second phase.