UPDATE - Gaza Strip’s sole power plant out of service due to lack of fuel

UPDATES WITH POWER OUTAGE, REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE, EDITS THROUGH

By Anadolu staff

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Gaza Strip’s sole power plant went out of service on Wednesday due to a lack of fuel.

A source with the Palestinian Energy Authority told Anadolu that the power plant ran out of fuel leading to a complete electricity outage in the strip.

Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the Palestinian Energy Authority, Dhafer Melhem, announced that the Gaza Strip's sole power plant would shut down after 7 hours (at 1430GMT).

“I received a report today stating that most of the solar cells on the roofs of homes and facilities in the Gaza Strip have been completely damaged and are unable to generate energy,” Melhem told Anadolu over the phone.

Furthermore, as a result of the Cabinet decision in Tel Aviv, Israel has already "stopped its supply of electricity to Gaza, as of last Sunday" in response to the Palestinian group Hamas' "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation.

Melhem believes that Israel's current goal is to "deprive Gaza of electricity from all sources and make it an unlivable place."

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.