The Hamas Movement has warned the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) of its decision to reduce the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip and its persistence in its inhumane blockade on the impoverished population.
In a brief statement on Thursday Hamas said there would be dire consequences for Israel’s decision to shrink the power supply to Gaza.
At the request of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah the IOA on Thursday declared its intent to decrease the amount of the electricity supplied to Gaza through cross-border power lines.
Yoav Mordechai coordinator of the Israeli government activities in the territories attributed the decision to Palestinian differences between the Hamas Movement in Gaza and the Fatah-controlled PA which led the latter not to pay for the electricity.
Gazans endure long power cuts with electricity now available for four hours a day.
Gaza’s sole power plant which had provided up to 120 megawatts was shut down in April unable to meet the heavy taxes and fees the PA imposed on the diesel fuel needed to run it.
Egypt provides Gaza with close to 30 megawatts of electricity but its supply lines are often down.
Last week the UN warned that the chronic electricity crisis would worsen the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza further.
Robert Piper the UN coordinator for humanitarian aid and development activities in the occupied Palestinian territories said the growing Gaza electricity crisis had gravely affected vital services such as safe drinking water sewage treatment and health facilities.
