Palestinian Hamas militants are seen during a military show in the Bani Suheila district on July 20, 2017 in Gaza City, Gaza. For the past ten years Gaza residents have lived with constant power shortages, in recent years these cuts have worsened, with supply of regular power limited to four hours a day. On June 11, 2017 Israel announced a new round of cuts at the request of the Palestinian authorities and the decision was seen as an attempt by President Mahmoud Abbas to pressure Gaza’s Hamas leadership. Prior to the new cuts Gaza received 150 megawatts per day, far below it’s requirements of 450 megawatts. In April, Gaza’s sole power station which supplied 60 megawatts shut down, after running out of fuel, the three lines from Egypt, which provided 27 megawatts are rarely operational, leaving Gaza reliant on the 125 megawatts supplied by Israel’s power plant. The new cuts now restrict electricity to three hours a day severely effecting hospital patients with chronic conditions and babies on life support. During blackout hours residents use private generators, solar panels and battery operated light sources to live. June 2017 also marked ten years since Israel began a land, sea and air blockade over Gaza. Under the blockade, movement of people and goods is restricted and exports and imports of raw materials have been banned. The restrictions have virtually cut off access for Gaza’s two million residents to the outside world and unemployment rates have skyrocketed forcing many people into poverty and leaving approximately 80% of the population dependent on humanitarian aid. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Hamas cell in Hebron was planning a bomb attack in Jerusalem but was thwarted, the Israel Security Agency said.
The cell, operating under the direction of Hamas’ military wing in the Gaza Strip, had been ordered to carry out attacks against both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
“The operatives in the West Bank were instructed to form cells in order to carry out kidnappings, shootings and stabbings, purchase weaponry, and find and recruit additional operatives for terrorist activities,” the agency, also known as the Shin Bet, said in a statement Tuesday.
The agency arrested a member of the cell, a college student at the Polytechnic College in Hebron, in June, which led to the arrest of other members, including at least one other college student. A 6.6-pound bomb filled with metal fragment that was to be used in a bomb attack also was discovered. The metal fragments would have caused more serious injury to victims.
The investigation and arrest of the cell was a joint operation with the Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Police.
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