The political and security cabinet yesterday decided to reduce the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip. At a meeting devoted to the electricity crisis in Gaza, following the Palestinian Authority's (PA) decision to cut its payments for electricity for the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by its rival Hamas, the ministers accepted the IDF's recommendation to reduce the amount of power that Israel provides to the territory.
The decision comes amidst growing tension on the Gaza Strip border. Demonstrations near the border have been held in recent weeks. A 35 year-old demonstrator was killed by IDF fire in northern Gaza at the end of last week, and at least 166 were wounded. Two were injured by IDF fire in another violent incident at the beginning of the week.
Late last month, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Major General (Res.) Yoav Mordechai announced that Israel would gradually reduce its supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip in the near future, due to disagreement between the PA and Hamas on payment for the costs of electricity. In an interview with the BBC's Arabic service, Mordechai said, "Israel is forced to reduce the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip."
He added, "Unfortunately, Hamas takes NIS 100 million ($28 million) a month from residents of the Gaza Strip: from the goods, from the taxes of all the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and this does not reach the Palestinian Authority. The reason for this is that Hamas prefers that the money should go towards digging tunnels to the organization. Israel is the only one supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip. This means that the Gaza Strip is completely dependent on electricity from Israel," he added.
A month ago, Mordechai warned international aid organizations operating in the Gaza Strip that they had to prepare for the possibility that Israel would gradually cut of the power supply to the territory. The cost of the electricity consumed in the Gaza Strip is NIS 400 million per month. The PA sent an official letter saying that it wanted to transfer NIS 255-300 million per month, which Mordechai said meant a reduction in power supplies.
The IDF said that reducing electricity during the Ramadan holiday due to an absence of agreement between Hamas and the PA on the cost of electricity was liable to aggravate the security situation in the Gaza Strip. The distress among the residents, who currently receive electricity four hours a day, is liable to turn into violent protest, and the consequence could be action against Israel.
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on June 12, 2017
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