Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced on Sunday that he had ordered an immediate halt to electricity supply to Gaza, escalating pressure on Hamas as negotiations over hostages and ceasefire terms continue.
The move comes a week after Israel blocked all humanitarian aid into the already devastated Palestinian territory, echoing the early days of the conflict when Israel imposed a full siege, cutting off essential supplies to Palestinians.
“I have just signed the order to stop supplying electricity immediately to the Gaza Strip,” Cohen said in a video statement on Sunday, March 9, 2025, hinting that Israel would use “all tools at our disposal” to secure the return of hostages and ensure Hamas is removed from Gaza.
Israel’s decision follows its announcement last weekend to suspend aid deliveries until Hamas agrees to extend the current truce under Israeli terms.
While Israel has proposed prolonging the ceasefire until mid-April, Hamas insists on transitioning to a second phase that could lead to a permanent end to the war.
Hamas accused Israel of committing the war crime of collective punishment by cutting off aid, warning that the blockade also affects Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, 58 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military confirming that at least 34 of them are dead.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened Hamas with consequences it “cannot imagine” if the hostages are not released.
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu has approved a maximum pressure strategy, including continuing the aid blockade, displacing northern Gaza residents to the south, halting electricity supply, and resuming full-scale military operations
Dubbed the “Hell Plan,” this strategy, which could mark the deaths of more civilian women and children, marks an intensification of Israeli efforts to force Hamas into accepting its conditions.
