Gaza ceasefire talks underway as electricity cutoff impacts water supply

• Israeli leaders meet with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. on Monday, March 10, to discuss next steps for a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. This comes as Israel has cut off the electric supply to the last facility in Gaza still receiving Israeli power, which powered a water treatment plant supplying drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people.
• The goal is to urge Hamas to extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal instead of pushing to enter the second phase.
• Phase two would involve releasing the remaining hostages from Gaza, withdrawing Israeli forces and establishing lasting peace.

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As Israeli mediators prepare to meet in Qatar on Monday, March 10, for the next round of talks aimed at brokering a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, Israel has cut off the electricity supply to the last facility in Gaza that was still receiving power from the Israel Electric Corporation.

What does the electricity cutoff mean for Gaza?

Since Israel cut off electricity to the majority of Gaza in the early stages of the war, Hamas and Gazans have relied on generators and solar power for electricity. However, this latest power shutdown affects a wastewater treatment facility, which may impact drinking water for a section of Gaza.

Israel’s energy minister said over the weekend that it would employ every tool at their disposal to “ensure the return of all Israeli hostages from Hamas’s captivity.”

According to Human Rights Watch, Israel deliberately cut off most means for Palestinians in Gaza to access water, including blocking pipelines and destroying solar panels used to keep some water pumps, desalination plants and waste management plants operational during power outages.

How it’s relevant to the ceasefire talks

The new move comes as Israel pressures the militant group to agree to an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire, which ended last weekend, by preventing food and other aid from entering the war-torn enclave.

Hamas described the action as part of Israel’s “starvation policy.”

What does each side want?

Israel seeks the release of half of the remaining 59 hostages in exchange for a commitment to negotiate a lasting truce.

Hamas, however, seeks to initiate negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire, which would involve the release of the remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the establishment of lasting peace.