Israel Will Cut Gaza's Electricity

Power shortages are intended to deter stream of Hamas rockets

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 24, 2007 10:22 PM CDT

Copied

Israel Will Cut Gaza's Electricity — Masked Palestinian militants hold their weapons up during the funeral of Mobarak Al Hasanat, in Deir al-Balah Refugee Camp in the central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct, 23, 2007. Israel killed a top Palestinian militant with a missile strike on his car Tuesday, prompting threats of more rocket attacks from... (Associated Press)

Israel will begin cutting off electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip in an attempt to stop rocket attacks from the Hamas-controlled territory, the Guardian reports. "We will dramatically reduce the flow of electricity from Israel over several weeks," said the deputy defense minister, who formulated the plan. Defense minister Ehud Barak is expected to approve the plan tomorrow.

Israel declared Gaza a "hostile territory" last month to lay the groundwork for sanctions, which officials said would begin with electricity and fuel cuts for 15 minutes a day. The duration of cuts would increase until cessation of the rocket attacks, which continue to pound southern Israel almost every day. The power supply to hospitals will not be affected. Israel supplies about 53% of Gaza's electricity. (More Israel stories.)

Report an error