Is a new Israel Defense Forces (IDF) assault on the Gaza Strip imminent? Israel has on Sunday cut all electricity to the Strip, in a move which typically signals some kind of escalation in military operations. Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister announced in a video message that Israel would use “all means available … to ensure the return of all Israeli hostages” and to force Hamas out of Gaza. “I just signed an order for the immediate halt of electricity to the Gaza Strip,” Cohen confirmed. There had already long been lengthy blackouts throughout the Hamas-Israel war. Hardline Israeli politician Itamar Ben Gvir praised the move: “The Gaza Strip must be completely and immediately blacked out as long as even one Israeli hostage is being held there,” he said. “Israel must bomb the huge fuel depots that entered the Strip as part of the unfortunate deal, as well as the generators operated by Hamas.” Some 2.3 million Palestinians are in the Gaza Strip, and those that have electricity supplies are mostly reliant on generators. The scant remaining supplies going into the Strip have effectively been cut by Israeli authorities. Hamas is demanding access to all resources, and the return of humanitarian shipments from outside countries and […]