In a move that has escalated tensions in the region, Israel’s Energy Minister, Eli Cohen, announced the decision to cut off electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip, further tightening the blockade on the besieged territory. According to reports from Israel’s Channel 12, this measure could soon be followed by a halt to water supplies in northern Gaza. Cohen claimed the decision was part of Israel’s strategy to pressure Hamas and secure the release of Israeli captives, while ensuring the group’s influence is eradicated in post-war Gaza.  

Meanwhile, Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, unveiled a controversial plan to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza. Speaking on Sunday, Smotrich revealed preparations to establish an “immigration office” under the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz. “If we expel 5,000 people daily, the operation will take about a year,” he stated. However, Smotrich acknowledged the logistical challenges, particularly in determining which countries would accept the displaced Palestinians.  

Israel is reportedly coordinating with the US administration under Donald Trump to identify potential host nations. Trump recently suggested that Gazans should be forcibly relocated to neighbouring countries, including Jordan and Egypt. This proposal has been met with strong opposition from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, both of whom have reiterated their refusal to accept additional refugees. Instead, they have emphasised the need for a Palestinian state and the right of Palestinians to determine their own future.  

The electricity cut and expulsion plans have drawn widespread condemnation, with critics warning of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Already grappling with severe shortages of essential supplies, the territory now faces the prospect of prolonged blackouts and water scarcity. Palestinian officials and human rights groups have decried the measures as collective punishment, exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s two million residents.  

The international community has expressed growing concern over the situation, with calls for a sustainable solution centred on the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, with Israel’s latest actions, the path to peace appears increasingly fraught.  

As Gaza plunges into darkness, the spectre of forced expulsions looms large, raising fears of further displacement and instability in the region. For Palestinians, these developments underscore the urgent need for global intervention to address the root causes of the conflict and uphold their rights to self-determination and dignity.