BREAKING: Israel cuts off electricity to Gaza

Israeli Energy Minister and Cabinet member Eli Cohen has signed an order to immediately cease the transmission of electricity to the Gaza Strip.

Here's what he said today:

"We will use every tool available to bring back our hostages and to ensure that Hamas won't remain in Gaza afterwards."

The decision marks a significant escalation in Israel’s ongoing measures against Gaza, drawing applause from supporters who view it as a decisive step.

Details on the broader implications are still unfolding.

Historical Context and Dependency

Israel has played a significant role in supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip for decades, a relationship rooted in the region’s political and infrastructural dynamics.

Before the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Gaza’s electricity came from three main sources: the Gaza Power Plant (GPP), a diesel-fueled facility; direct power lines from Israel via the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC); and a smaller contribution from Egypt. Israel supplied about 120 megawatts (MW) through 10 power lines, roughly half of Gaza’s peacetime electricity needs, estimated at 400-600 MW for a full 24-hour supply to its 2 million residents. The GPP, located in Deir al-Balah, generated 60-140 MW depending on fuel availability and operational status, while Egypt provided around 27 MW, often unreliably due to instability in the Sinai Peninsula.

This dependency stems from Gaza’s limited domestic energy infrastructure. The GPP, the only power plant in the Strip, relies on diesel fuel, historically imported via Israel or smuggled from Egypt until Egypt cracked down on tunnels in 2013. Israel’s control over Gaza’s borders, established after the 1967 Six-Day War and reinforced by the blockade since Hamas took over in 2007, has meant that fuel, equipment, and maintenance materials for the GPP often pass through Israeli checkpoints, subject to restrictions.

Pre-War Supply and Challenges

Before October 7, 2023, Israel’s 120 MW covered about 50% of Gaza’s grid-supplied electricity during peacetime. The GPP contributed 25-35%, with the rest from solar panels (about 25% of daytime supply) and private generators. However, even then, Gaza faced chronic shortages, with residents typically receiving only 6-13 hours of power daily due to a combination of factors: insufficient fuel for the GPP, unpaid bills by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to the IEC, and damage to infrastructure from past conflicts, like the 2014 Gaza War when Israeli shelling hit the GPP.

The PA, which collects tax revenues for Gaza but has been at odds with Hamas, historically paid Israel for electricity and fuel. Tensions flared in 2017 when the PA reduced payments, leading the IEC to cut supply, a move seen as pressure on Hamas. Hamas, meanwhile, has been accused of diverting funds—estimated in billions from donors like Qatar—to military purposes, like tunnels and weapons, rather than energy infrastructure.

Impact of the 2023-2025 Conflict

The situation shifted dramatically with the Israel-Hamas war starting October 7, 2023. After Hamas’s attack killed over 1,400 Israelis, Israel imposed a “complete siege” on Gaza, cutting off electricity, fuel, and water supplies on October 9. By October 11, the GPP shut down, having exhausted its fuel reserves—though some suggest Hamas may have hoarded diesel for its tunnels, depleting stocks faster than expected. Israel’s 120 MW feed stopped, and Egypt’s contribution became negligible as the Rafah crossing was bombed and closed.

For weeks, Gaza relied on dwindling generator fuel and solar power, which had grown significantly pre-war with over 9,000 off-grid photovoltaic (PV) installations. However, Israeli airstrikes damaged much of this solar infrastructure, including a German-funded wastewater plant opened in 2023. Hospitals, desalination plants, and aid operations teetered on collapse, with the UN reporting fuel stocks critically low by late October 2023.

Policy Reversal and Current Status

Israel’s initial cutoff aimed to pressure Hamas but faced international backlash and legal scrutiny. The International Court of Justice’s January 2024 ruling cited Israel’s supply cuts as potential “collective punishment,” urging restoration of essentials. By mid-November 2023, Israel began trucking in 60,000 liters of diesel daily at its own expense, despite risks of Hamas diversion. In July 2024, Israel connected a power line directly to a UN-managed desalination plant in Khan Younis, boosting water production fourfold to 20,000 cubic meters daily—still far short of Gaza’s needs but a humanitarian gesture amid pressure from the U.S. and UN.

As of March 9, 2025, Israel no longer supplies Gaza’s grid directly with electricity, per posts on X and news trends suggesting a full cutoff persists. The GPP remains offline without fuel, and solar and generator use is limited by war damage and blockade restrictions. A small water pipe in southern Gaza operates, but electricity is effectively absent from Israeli sources, leaving Gaza in a prolonged blackout.

Broader Implications

Israel’s pre-war supply was never “free”—the IEC billed the PA $11 million monthly, often deducted from Palestinian tax revenues Israel collects, though debts were periodically forgiven.

Critics argue Israel, as an occupying power under international law, bears responsibility for Gaza’s basic needs, a duty it disputes, pointing to Hamas’s governance and resource mismanagement. Hamas’s adaptation—tunnels with generators and stockpiled fuel—blunted the cutoff’s tactical impact, shifting the burden onto civilians, as water and sanitation systems failed without power.

Post-war, experts suggest Gaza needs a self-sufficient energy sector, like expanded solar with batteries, to reduce reliance on Israel. However, reconstruction lags amid ongoing conflict and political stalemate. For now, Gaza’s electricity crisis is acute, and the only ones to blame are Hamas themselves.