Israel said on Sunday that it is continuing its push to convince Hamas to stay in phase one of the ceasefire deal with the terror group, by cutting off the power it supplies to Gaza. 

The first phase, the simplest of the current ceasefire plan's phases, includes the release of more hostages. But Hamas has signaled it wants to jump into the second phase, which would make the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) exit Gaza.

via the Associate Press:

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel announced Sunday it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza. The full effects were not immediately clear, but the arid territory’s desalination plants receive power for producing drinking water. Hamas called it part of Israel’s “starvation policy.”

...

Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.

Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace. Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.

This move appears to be part of a two-pronged strategy by Israel, which previously froze aid to Gaza on March 1, warning Hamas that electrical power would be next:

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s cutoff of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza’s 2 million people has sent prices soaring and humanitarian groups into overdrive trying to distribute dwindling stocks to the most vulnerable.

...

Israel says the siege aims at pressuring Hamas to accept its ceasefire proposal. Israel has delayed moving to the second phase of the deal it reached with Hamas, during which the flow of aid was supposed to continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he is prepared to increase the pressure and would not rule out cutting off all electricity to Gaza if Hamas doesn’t budge.

Meanwhile, peace talks continue on Sunday in Qatar, with Israel saying it will join the negotiations on Monday:

...[Hamas, which] has warned that cutting off supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position, calling for an immediate start of the ceasefire’s second phase.

Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday “in an effort to advance the negotiations.”

This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as they become available.

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