Energy Minister and Cabinet member Eli Cohen has signed an order to immediately halt the supply of electricity tothe Gaza Strip. "In accordance with my authority, I am instructing the Israel Electric Corporation to stop the transfer of electricity to Gaza," Cohen wrote in his directive. His decision was made independently and was not based on a government or cabinet resolution.
A senior Israeli official said that cutting off water supply to Gaza is also under consideration. "As part of Israel’s toolbox, severing water pipelines toGazais on the table. The first pipeline to be cut would be the one supplying northern Gaza, but no decision has been made yet," the official said.
At the outset of the war, Israel announced it would cease supplying electricity to Gaza. However, under pressure from the United States and European countries, the supply initially continued.
The Gaza Electricity Company had previously extended cables along Salah al-Din Street to directly power a desalination and wastewater treatment facility west of Deir al-Balah using electricity from Israel.
Since the outbreak of the war on October 7, Israel has not supplied electricity to Gaza, except for one line—known as the Qalaa line—which directly powers desalination facilities. At the beginning of the war, approximately 10 power lines from Israel supplied Gaza, but most were subsequently disabled. Aside from the single remaining Israeli power line, Hamas has relied on generators to provide electricity to residents.
Gaza’s power plant ceased operations early in the war. If Hamas runs out of fuel—following Israel’s recent decision to halt humanitarian aid deliveries and close border crossings—it will no longer be able to operate the generators. International aid organizations estimate that Hamas has enough fuel to run generators for approximately 45 more days.
TheIsraeli militaryhas recently stated that maintaining the Qalaa power line was necessary to prevent the spread of disease, which could endanger both hostages and soldiers operating in the area. However, Cohen has now ordered a complete halt to the transfer of electricity.
Last week, the municipality of Deir al-Balah announced that Israel had cut off electricity to two desalination plants that supply 70% of the city’s water needs. Israeli officials, however, stated that there had been no deliberate cutoff and that a local malfunction had disrupted supply. They said repairs had not yet been approved due to ongoing military operations in the area.
TheIsrael Defense Forcespreviously justified supplying electricity to the desalination plant last summer, explaining that it provided drinking water to displaced residents in Mawasi, Khan Younis, and Deir al-Balah before the withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor as part of a cease-fire arrangement.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had opposed the electricity supply to Gaza, criticizing infrastructure repairs six months ago. "We have completely lost our minds. We are rehabilitating Gaza with our own hands before its demilitarization—especially its hospitals, which serve as terror hubs," he said at the time. "Prime Minister, stop this folly. This time, no one will be able to say we didn’t know."
Last week, following Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian aid to Gaza, Smotrich welcomed the move. "This is a step in the right direction, and I can assure you it is only the beginning," he said. "We are closing the gates of paradise and preparing to open the gates of hell. The next step will be cutting off electricity and water, followed by an intense, deadly, and rapid attack that will lead to the conquest of the territory and the implementation of the Trump plan to encourage emigration from Gaza."