Israel to cut electricity supply to Gaza ‘immediately’

Israel’s energy minister orders complete cut off of electricity supply to Gaza.
President Trump’s hostage envoy says face-to-face US meetings with Hamas on the release of Israelis were “very helpful”, adding “something could come together on Gaza within weeks”.US hostage envoy says Hamas has offered to lay down arms for five to 10 years
The US hostage envoy Adam Boehler has told Israel’s Channel 11 that Hamas has suggested an exchange of prisoners, as well as a five to ten year truce in which the Palestinian group “would lay down all weapons”, and not be involved in politics.

Boehler repeated some of those details in a series of interviews held with Israeli and US media outlets, after reports emerged of Israeli unhappiness with his unprecedented direct talks with Hamas.

Boehler also added that an “optimistic” scenario would see Israeli captives held in Gaza released in “weeks”.Doctor says dealing with victims of continued Israeli drone attacks in Gaza
Dr Christopher Holden, a volunteer foreign doctor working in Gaza City, says medical supplies are running low in the enclave, including essential supplies.

“We are running into a real and critical shortage in many sectors in healthcare,” the doctor with the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association told Al Jazeera in Gaza City.

He also said that there have been recent frequent drone attacks in the area he has been working in.

“Two days ago, we had a six-year-old girl brought in. She was asleep in her tent because her home was destroyed with a loss of multiple family members,” Holden said.

The doctor said that she was attacked by a drone while sleeping in a tent with her father, damaging her eye and breaking some her bones.

He added that there had been no military activity in the area where the strike took place.

Click here to share on social media
Father of released Israeli captive says North American Jewish organisations failed them
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, the father of Sagui, who was released from Gaza last month, said that some Jewish organisations in North America had failed the captives by being unable to go against the Israeli government.

“History will also not look kindly on some, if not all, of the leaderships of major Jewish organisations, in North America certainly,” Dekel-Chen told The Jerusalem Post. “All of these organisations, all of them, were created for the betterment of the people of Israel; the people of Israel, not this or that politician of Israel.”

“In a perfect world, the biggest single advocate for the hostages, in action and not just lip service, would be the government of Israel. That simply hasn’t happened,” Dekel-Chen added. “As a result, hostage families themselves have had to take it on. Speaking as a historian of the Jewish people, history will not judge these leaders well for what they have already done and for what I fear they might continue to do.”Israeli official says electricity cut will only affect one desalination plant
As we’ve been reporting – and despite the announcement from the Israeli energy minister today – Israel had already cut off almost all electricity from Gaza.

The Times of Israel is now reporting that the announcement that all electricity supplied from Israel will be cut will therefore only affect a single desalination plant in Deir el-Balah, according to an Israeli official. The tank serves more than 600,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

Even power to that plant had been cut off after the beginning of the war in October 2023, but Israel announced in November 2024 that it was restoring power to the solitary plant.Gaza residents report hunger and hardship despite recent ceasefire
With the cutoff of all supplies to Gaza, Palestinians are reporting sharp price increases for dwindling items as fears grow again, in the middle of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“Since the ceasefire began, the situation has improved a little. But before that, the situation was very bad,” Fares al-Qeisi in the southern city of Khan Younis told AP news agency.

“I swear to God, one could not satisfy their hunger,” al-Qeisi said.

Hamas says Gaza’s electricity cut off since start of war
The Palestinian groups says Israeli forces have already cut off electricity to the Gaza Strip since the war began in October 2023, Al Jazeera Arabic is reporting.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem made the remarks in a statement in response to Israel’s earlier decision today to immediately halt the supply of electricity to Gaza.