Israeli energy minister defends cutting off Gaza's electricity

Israel's energy minister, Eli Cohen, defended his decision to cut Gaza's electricity.

“The decision I led to cut off electricity from Gaza is the right one from a security and moral perspective," Cohen said in a post on X on Thursday. "I am glad that the petition to force me to restore the electricity was rejected out of hand.”

He added that "continued pressure" on Hamas would secure the release of hostages and "ensure" Hamas would not be in Gaza afterwards.

Cohen ordered a halt to the electricity supply to Gaza in early March, primarily to impact the operation of desalination plants, which are crucial for providing clean drinking water.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International criticised the move as “further evidence of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip”.