120K Israeli settlers left with no electricity due to 'malfunction'
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Israeli media claim that the outage, which left around 120,000 settlers with no electricity, was not caused by a cyberattack.
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An Israeli helicopter belonging to the entity's electricity company flying near a high-voltage power line following a widespread electricity outage in December 2023 (AFP)
Israeli media reported on widespread power outages across many areas in occupied Palestine on Sunday, including in Haifa, Safad, and "Dimona".
The outage, which also reached "Bnei Brak, Petah Tikva, and Beersheba," was due to a "technical malfunction" at one of the power stations and not a cyberattack, the news outlets claimed, noting that 120,000 Israelis remained without electricity during the blackout.
Israeli officials had earlier warned that, in any upcoming war, Hezbollah might target the entity's power, causing prolonged electricity cuts to hundreds of thousands of settlers.
Read more: 'Israel's' railroad network targeted by cyberattack: Israeli media
Be prepared for a war with Hezbollah
The director of Noga company, a government-owned firm managing the electricity sector in the entity, said that Israelis will face a grim situation in case a war with Hezbollah erupted, as the Resistance could strike power stations.
Talking to Channel 12, Shaul Goldstein advised settlers on Sunday to purchase charging batteries for mobile phones, in addition to storing household gas and keeping the car tank full of fuel.
"We listen and believe Nasrallah's words, so when he says he will hit vital facilities of the Israeli electricity system, he knows very well what he is talking about, and we are trying to be prepared as much as possible for all scenarios after addressing and fixing all [our] vulnerabilities."
Read more: Hezbollah can launch about 1,000 missiles at 'Tel Aviv' on first day
When the interviewer asked Goldstein about what would happen if Hezbollah succeeded in hitting one or two power stations, he smiled and said that the same scenario that occurred hours ago would be repeated - citing the power outage that affected120,000 Israelis - adding that the electricity company can repair damages within 24 to 72 hours in the best-case scenario.
'Back to the Stone Age'
A three-year study, conducted by hundreds of experts at the Counter-Terrorism Policy Institute at Reichman University and published last week concluded that any future war between the Israeli occupation and the Resistance in Lebanon would be the most devastating the entity has ever faced.
According to the study, Hezbollah would target using precision-strike missiles sensitive infrastructure in "Israel", including power stations and electricity-related facilities.
Meanwhile, it added that the disruption of power among other impacting factors will cause heightened panic and fear among Israelis.
Read more: Navy boat burning off 'Nahariya' coast leaves Israeli settlers in fear
As part of operations launched in October in support of Gaza, Hezbollah launched a salvo of rockets last month, targeting the "Kiryat Shmona", which resulted in a complete power blackout in the settlement.
The operation enraged Israelis in northern occupied Palestine, especially in the targeted settlement, who considered that Hezbollah returned them "back to the stone age" now that they were left without electricity.
