Last update - 00:00 03/01/2008
High Court rejects petition against cuts to Gaza Strip fuel supply
By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent, and The Associated Press
The High Court of Justice rejected an appeal by human rights groups Thursday for an injunction against fuel cuts to the Gaza Strip, rejecting their argument that the cuts cause humanitarian harm.
Israel instituted the cuts as part of a policy of pressure to stop daily rocket fire at Israel by Gaza militants, and plans to reduce the fuel supply to 230,000 liters per week.
The presiding justices Dorit Beinisch, Esther Hiut, and Yosef Alon said the the fuel that would continue to be supply could be distributed in a controlled manner that takes into account the population's humanitarian needs.
The court further ruled that reducing fuel supplies could hinder Gaza militants from targeting border towns with Qassam rockets.
"Reducing fuel supplies hits the terror infrastructure and hinders its ability to attack Israeli citizens," the court said in its decision.
The court said it took Gaza's civilian population into consideration and would monitor the affects of the fuel cuts to prevent a humanitarian crisis. Another hearing was set for February 8.
Gaza depends on Israel for all its fuel. Israel began reducing fuel supplies in October and gasoline supplies have been cut by 33-45 percent so far, according to statistics provided by Gisha, one of the groups that filed the appeal.
Gisha director Sari Bashi disagreed with the court's reasoning. "These punitive measures are repeatedly pushing Gaza residents to the brink without any legitimate security justification," she said.
"Preventing health care workers from driving to patients in need does not stop Qassam rocket fire ... and only makes more innocent civilians suffer," Bashi said.
Israel has declared Gaza a hostile entity and closed its borders halting almost all trade.
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