Jerusalem, Mar 10 (UNI) Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Risheq called Israel's decision to cut off electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip "cheap blackmail" and a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that he had ordered an immediate cutoff of electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip as part of a move to pressure Hamas to release more hostages.
"The occupation’s decision of cutting off electricity supplies, closing the crossings, blocking the entry of aid, relief and fuel, and starving our people are an insistence of the collective punishment, amounting to a full-fledged crime," al-Risheq said in a statement on Telegram, calling it a "desperate attempt to intensify pressure on our Palestinian people and resistance through its cheap and unacceptable blackmail policy."
According to the Israel Electricity Company, there is currently no electricity in all areas of the Gaza Strip, where the power has recently been supplied only for the operation of the sewage system.
On March 2, Israel announced a ban on the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and also threatened further pressure on Hamas for refusing to accept the new American plan to extend the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and release the remaining hostages.
From January 19 to March 1, a ceasefire was in effect in the Gaza Strip as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas on the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Over the course of six weeks, Palestinian groups have freed 30 living hostages and handed over the bodies of eight dead.
In exchange, Israel released about 1,700 Palestinian prisoners, including those sentenced to life imprisonment for terrorism, and the army withdrew from the internal areas of the Gaza Strip. At present, Hamas continues to hold another 59 hostages in the strip, about half of whom have been officially declared dead.
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