Israel considers cutting electricity to Gaza, evacuating Gazans, resuming war – report

Israeli government mulling plans to pressure Hamas to resume hostage releases, including cutting electricity transfers to the Gaza Strip, resuming war on Hamas, and evacuating Gazans from the northern Gaza Strip.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel’s government is considering a number of measures to pressure Hamas into releasing additional hostages, the Israeli national broadcaster Kan reported Sunday night, after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas lapsed over the weekend.

On Sunday, the first phase of the January 19th ceasefire ended, with no agreement on either a continuation of the existing hostages-for-truce arrangement or implementation of the second phase of the hostage deal.

While Israel embraced an American proposal to extend the truce through the Ramadan and Passover holidays, ending on April 19th, in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages in two transfers, Hamas has insisted Israel negotiate the full withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Sunday that the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip be halted until Hamas agrees to resume the release of hostages held in Gaza.

Later that day, Israeli media outlets reported that Jerusalem has drafted a plan to pressure Hamas into resuming the hostage releases.

According to Channel 14, Energy Minister Eli Cohen (Likud) is set to formally propose to the Israeli cabinet that Israel cut off Gaza from Israel’s electric grid.

Following the Hamas invasion of Israel on October 7th, Israel cut Gaza off from its electric grid, leaving the coastal enclave reliant on electric generators, leading to rolling blackouts.

Last July, however, Israel resumed the transfer of electricity to parts of the Gaza Strip, powering a number of public facilities, including water treatment plants and desalination operations.

Should Israel adopt Cohen’s plan, it could potentially leave Gaza with total blackouts, once the current supply of fuel is exhausted.

Kan reported that in addition to cutting off Gaza from the electric grid, Jerusalem is considering evacuating the northern Gaza Strip once again, sealing off the area and relocating residents to the Khan Yunis and Rafah districts.

Furthermore, Israel is mulling resuming hostilities in the Gaza Strip within a week, including the use of heavy air munitions barred by the Biden administration.