Israeli captives' families urge Netanyahu to restore Gaza electricity
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Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that if an agreement on the second phase is not reached, fighting will resume.
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Members of Nijim family hang laundry on the ruins of their house, amid widespread destruction caused by the Israeli military's ground and air offensive in Jabaliya, Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
The families of Israeli captives held in Gaza have called for the reversal of the decision to cut electricity supplies to the Strip, warning that "it puts the prisoners' lives in immediate danger." The families also stated that they will appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.
This comes after Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen confirmed on March 9 that he had signed an order to immediately cut off all electricity to Gaza—a move that follows Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid and closure of border crossings as negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire remain stalled.
"I have just signed the order to stop supplying electricity immediately to the Gaza Strip," Cohen declared in a video statement, adding that "Israel will use all the tools at our disposal to bring back the hostages and ensure that Hamas is no longer in Gaza the day after [the war]."
Families Demand Netanyahu Grant Negotiators Full Authority
In their statement, the families urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to grant full authority to the Israeli negotiating team to finalize an agreement, following **
In their statement, they urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to grant the Israeli negotiating team full authority to reach an agreement, following "Israel's" failure to implement the second phase of the deal after the first phase concluded on March 1.
The families warned that "any delay in negotiations could lead to the deaths of more prisoners due to the ongoing war, in addition to the loss of hope in recovering the bodies of the deceased for burial."
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that if an agreement on the second phase is not reached, fighting will resume. "If we return to fighting in Gaza, the prisoners will die," he said.
Read more: IOF add to Gaza ceasefire violations, shoot Palestinian woman
Meanwhile, the Hamas movement has urged mediators and the international community to intervene immediately to ensure Israel's withdrawal and the resumption of the second-phase negotiations without delay.
Additionally, the Israeli news website Walla! reported on Sunday that US officials expect White House envoy to the Middle East, Steve Wietkoff, to travel to Qatar, in an effort to reach a new agreement for the release of Israeli captives and a ceasefire between Gaza and "Israel."
'Israel' Stalls Second-Phase Agreement
"Israel" has been reluctant to advance the second phase of the ceasefire, instead choosing to unilaterally extend the first phase under a US-backed proposal. On March 2, the Israeli regime approved the extension until April 19, covering the holy month of Ramadan.
Under this plan, half of the remaining captives—both living and deceased—would be released on the first day of the ceasefire, while the rest would only be freed if a permanent truce is agreed upon by mid-April.
