Israel’s coordinator of government activities in the Palestinian territories announced that the amount of electricity the Jewish state provides the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the internationally recognized terror group Hamas, will be decreased in two weeks’ time, that after the Palestinian Authority decided to reduce its payments to Israel for the basic commodity, in a move aimed at exerting pressure on the Islamist Hamas organization.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Jordan, that the purpose of any pressure on Hamas is to ensure the unity of Palestine, which is not composed of separate entities under different leaderships. Erekat stressed that “the issue is not to stop bills or cut off electricity from the Gaza Strip, rather Hamas is required at the moment to reach a government of national unity as demanded by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.” Meanwhile, Hamas warned Israel of its latest announcement to reduce electricity, warning of dangerous consequences, including a possible violent escalation.