New deal has West Bank control its power supply

Up until now most of the West Bank's three million Palestinians relied on Israel for electricity.

2 min read

02 May, 2018

Electricity plant in Jalamah, West Bank [Getty]

Israel reached a $775 million, 15-year deal that will see the Palestinian Authority (PA) take control of electricity distribution for Palestinians in the West Bank.

Most of West Bank's three million Palestinians rely on Israel for electricity.

The deal does not cover the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli air, land and sea blockade since 2007 when the Islamist Hamas group took control of the enclave.

Two million Palestinians in the Strip face frequent blackouts and regular electricity shortages as a result of the blockade. The UN has warned that Gaza would be "unlivable" by 2020 if trends continue.

As part of the deal announced on Tuesday, the PA will pay off a 915m shekel ($253m) debt to the state-owned Israel Electric Corp.

The IEC will sell power to the Palestinian Electricity Transmission Company (PETL) through four plants that it will build with the PA. PETL will own the power plants and electric supply, according to Reuters.

"The agreement ... frees the Palestinian electricity sector of complete Israeli control, which has lasted for decades," said Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the PA's civil affairs agency.

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During a rare trip to the West Bank, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said the agreement paves the way for Palestinians to develop an autonomous grid.

"(The deal) brings about a new reality in the Palestinians' energy sector, reduces restrictions on electricity supply, strengthens economic stability...and opens a new era in economic relations between the two sides," said Israeli Finance Ministry Director-General Shai Babad.

The PA and Hamas have frequently disagreed over unpaid PA debts to the IEC.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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