Israel cuts power to Palestinian territories over unpaid debt

Israel's Electric Company (IEC) on Monday cut power supply to two Palestinian cities in the West Bank for nearly an hour, due to an unpaid debt by the Palestinian Authority.

The power supply to the town of Jenin and Nablus was cut for 45 minutes on Monday over an unpaid debt of two billion shekels (nearly $500 million) by the Palestinian Authority and the east Jerusalem Electric Company.

The IEC said in a statement that it would cut the power to Palestinian areas for 45 minutes daily until the debt is settled. Although the move may be seen as strictly business, it does require the authorisation from the political leadership in Israel.

"It's unacceptable that while we cut service to private consumer who didn't pay their electric bill, we continue to supply an entire population that owes us money," Yiftach Ron-Tal, the IEC chairman, said on Monday.

The IEC also said that it had repeatedly alerted Israeli officials over the Palestinian debt and the need to work on payment installment, but to no avail.

Earlier in January, Israel stopped transferring tax that it collects on behalf of the Palestinians to the Palestinian Authority. The money was estimated at around $100 million.

Israel's move came after the Palestinian Authority asked to join the International Criminal Court in the Hague, in order to press charges for war crimes against the Israeli military and, perhaps, political leaders too.

According to estimates, the IEC sells about four billion kilowatt hours a year to the Jerusalem District Electric Company, a quarter of which goes to the Gaza Strip.