Gaza electric company begins work to receive power from Israel
Gaza's electric company began repairing infrastructure across the Palestinian enclave on Tuesday to prepare for electricity to be provided by Israel for Gaza's water desalination and sewage systems.
The Coordinator for the Government's Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said that the government's decision to supply power to Gaza was made for humanitarian reasons.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who approved the move, emphasized its necessity for providing drinking water to civilians in evacuation zones, addressing "basic humanitarian needs."
However, the decision faced significant backlash from within the Cabinet and some opposition members. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich strongly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to "stop this madness."
In a post, Smotrich argued that Netanyahu could not feign ignorance about the release of Al Shifa Hospital administrator Muhammed Abu Salmiya, who had been in custody since the IDF raided his facility and discovered it being used as a Hamas base of operations. "We are rehabilitating Gaza with our own hands," Smotrich said.