Israel cut electricity to Gaza, disrupting a desalination plant that provides critical drinking water for central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah area. Hamas accused Israel of enforcing a “starvation policy,” citing the move as part of broader restrictions on supplies. The power outage follows Israel’s suspension of goods to Gaza last week and escalates tensions over stalled ceasefire negotiations.
Israel seeks Hamas’ agreement to extend the first phase of their ceasefire, demanding hostage releases for truce talks. Hamas instead insists on addressing the second phase—requiring Israeli troop withdrawals and a permanent peace deal. Egyptian-mediated talks ended without progress Sunday as Israel plans further negotiations in Qatar.
The desalination plant now relies on generators, reducing output by 86%. Water shortages worsen due to fuel constraints needed for distribution, compounding challenges during Ramadan. The UN criticized the supply cuts, while Gaza reports soaring prices amid dwindling resources.
U.S.-Hamas talks hint at a potential long-term truce involving disarmament and prisoner exchanges, though no agreement is imminent. Over 48,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s military campaign, per Gaza health officials. Demonstrators urge Israeli leaders to prioritize hostage returns as tensions persist.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-palestinians-war-news-ba90f0de3d4f64a1762d1a39f787817f