Gaza Power Crisis Threatens to Explode

The dire power shortage in Gaza could pose a security challenge for Israel in the coming days, according to a senior IDF officer quoted by The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

A threat by the Palestinian Authority that it will halt funding of Gaza’s fuel supply as of next week has the Israeli defense establishment concerned that such an eventuality would lead to serious disorder within the Hamas-run enclave, pressure on the Gaza border fence, and possible military conflict with Hamas.

“In a few days there will be no electricity in Gaza. They have a dilemma for the first time if to use the money for tunnels or electricity. They have always received electricity until now, but now they will have to decide what they prefer,” one senior officer told journalists, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It would be in character for Hamas to initiate an armed clash with Israel in order to draw attention away from the social and economic crisis that worsens daily under its rule, something it has done before, another IDF officer said. In fact, he said he was surprised that no “classic terror attacks” have been launched by Hamas for some time.

The energy issue has been a focus of mutual recriminations between Hamas and the PA for years. The PA accuses Hamas of inefficiency and corruption in running the energy plants, while Hamas says the heavy taxes demanded by the PA are intolerable. They accuse the PA and Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah of seeking to “ignite an electricity crisis in Gaza.”

As of last week, Gaza’s one remaining power plant shut down after fuel supplied by Qatar and Turkey ran out, leaving the 1.9 million residents of the Strip with only six hours of electricity followed by 12-hour blackouts.