JERUSALEM

Israeli prison authorities have cut electricity off for Palestinian detainees in its jails, according to local media on Wednesday.

“Electricity has been cut off for all Palestinian prisoners,” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said, citing senior officials in the Prison Service.

The decision to suspend power supply to Palestinian prisoners was ordered by Prison Service Commissioner Katy Perry.

Perry said all access to media and means of communication must be blocked to prevent guidance or instruction from being delivered by any of the prisoners.

On Saturday, Perry ordered all Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails to be put on lockdown and confined to their cells.

There are around 5,100 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, including 36 females and 170 children, according to Palestinian figures.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land,
sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip. Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

More than 2,300 people have been killed in the current bout of violence, including at least 1,100 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis.

Source: Anadolu Agency