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A new report compiled following multiple and prolonged power outages that have been felt throughout Israel in the past year paints a worrying picture and determines that tens of thousands of households in Arab localities are illegally connected to electricity.

According to an estimate by the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC), there are 24,174 illegal connections in the Bedouin communities in the Negev, compared to 12,598 legal contracts. In addition, the report examined a list of Arab settlements in the north and found over 31,000 illegal connections to electricity.

The report, which was compiled by the Knesset's Research and Information Center and published on Channel 12 News, states that beyond the fact that connecting buildings to electricity in an illegal manner causes safety hazards in public spaces and private homes and even the risk of electric shock, it also leads to congestion on the electricity grid. As a result, there are many power outages and the quality of life of the residents is impaired.

According to Channel 12 News, the IEC is the one body that continues to suffer significant economic damage as a result of the many interruptions, as it is required to carry out maintenance and upgrade operations to withstand the load on the grid. In addition, it is also required to handle cases of irregular non-payment by anyone who connects to the network in a pirated manner.