MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen
MK Carmel Shama-HacohenFlash 90

MK Carmel Shama-Hacohen (Likud) on Thursday called on the Cabinet to cut off the electricity supply to Gaza after each rocket attack on Israel.

"A client in Israel who doesn’t pay his electricity bill is cut off. In Gaza we have a client who does not pay and shoots missiles on top," he said.

Shama-Hacohen pointed out that most of the rockets from Gaza that explode over the heads of Israelis are made using the electricity that is supplied by Israel.

"It is time to seriously consider cutting off their power for one day for each rocket attack; I think it would be more effective," he said.

Similar comments were made earlier this week by Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon, who called for Israel to stop the ongoing humanitarian aid to Gaza in the wake of hundreds of rockets being fired on Israeli citizens over the past week.

"We have to stop the entry of fuel and electricity to Gaza immediately," Danon stated. "You cannot fight Hamas on the one hand and provide electricity and fuel to transport the missiles fired at us on the other."

Israel also provides 100 megawatts of electricity to Gaza on a regular basis, including additional aid that was supplied during Hamas's energy crisis with Egypt earlier this year.

Much of that electricity is purchased for Gaza by the Palestinian Authority (PA), which owes Israel 1.4 billion shekels (nearly half a billion dollars) for unpaid electric bills.

Several months ago, the director of the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) called on the Israeli government to cut off the supply to the PA so long as it does not pay its debt.