“No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,” says Israeli Energy Minister

Israel's Energy Minister Israel Katz has asserted that his country won't let any aid or food into Gaza until the people who were taken by Hamas in their surprise attack over the weekend are released. The top official further stated on Thursday that it will be ensured that no fuel tank will enter Gaza or the tap water will not be opened until the Israeli abductees return home. Around 150 people, including Israelis, non-residents, and dual citizens, have been taken hostage by Hamas in the attack that killed over a thousand people on Saturday.

"Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home," said the minister in a statement.

As a retaliatory measure against Hamas’s ‘surprise attack’, Israel has launched an intensive bombing campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, with an estimated 1,200 people killed. In addition, Israel has declared a "total siege" on the Palestinian territory of Gaza, resulting in a suspension of water, fuel, and electricity supply. On Wednesday, the sole power plant in the territory of Gaza was shut down due to a lack of fuel. The absence of electricity has created a sense of panic amongst the people as essential services including intensive care being given to the victims being treated in the hospitals have come to a sudden halt.​