Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza
Jerusalem, Mar 9 (AP): Israel says it is cutting off its electricity supply to Gaza. The full effects of that are not immediately clear, but the territory's desalination plants receive power for producing drinking water.
Sunday's announcement comes a week after Israel cut off all supplies of goods to the territory to over 2 million people. It has sought to press Hamas to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.
Hamas has pressed to start negotiations on the ceasefire's more difficult second phase instead. The fighter group on Sunday said 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.
The new letter from Israel's energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling power to Gaza.
Gaza has been largely devastated by the war, and generators and solar panels are used for some of the power supply.
The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli forces have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza for the first time since early in the war and hundreds of trucks of aid entered per day until Israel suspended supplies.
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Dr Boby Chemmanur felicitated at Vidhana Soudha by Speaker UT Khader for world record run
Bengaluru: Dr Boby Chemmanur was felicitated by Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader Fareed at a special function held at Vidhana Soudha.
Dr Chemmanur, popularly known as “BoChe”, was honoured for successfully completing an 812-kilometre run aimed at spreading the message of world peace. The achievement earned him recognition in the Unique World Records and the Guinness World Records.
Dr Chemmanur has also received several prestigious awards and honours, including the Mother Teresa Award, for his contributions to social service.
Speaker U.T. Khader also spoke about Dr Chemmanur’s achievement in the Legislative Assembly and congratulated him for the accomplishment.
Deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani, Agriculture Minister Cheluvarayaswamy and MLA and Chief Minister’s legal advisor Ponnanna were present on the occasion.
