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Palestinian man filling his car with gasoline ahead of Israel's cut to fuel supply in the Gaza Strip on Sunday. (AP)
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Rights groups appeal to court over Gaza fuel cuts
By Barak Ravid and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents, and Reuters

The High Court of Justice on Sunday ordered the state to respond within five days to a petition submitted by dozens of human rights groups requesting that Israel halt its cutoff of fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip.

Israel began cutting deliveries in vital fuel supplies to Gaza earlier Sunday, following through on a promise to step up pressure on Gaza's Hamas rulers in response to months of Palestinian rocket attacks, Israeli and Palestinian officials confirmed.

Ahmed Ali, the deputy director of Gaza's Petroleum Authority, said shipments of diesel fuel and gasoline were 30 percent smaller than regular deliveries.
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He warned the cuts would cause widespread hardship in impoverished Gaza.

Following the commencement of the fuel cutoff, dozens of human rights organizations petitioned the High Court of Justice demanding that the Israel Defense Forces halt the cessation of fuel and electricity supplies.

According to the rights groups, the decision to cut off vital power supplies is illegal and could likely harm the innocent civilian population in the embattled Gaza Strip.

Dor Alon, Defense Ministry confirm cutoff

Dor Alon, the Israeli energy company that provides fuel to Gaza, confirmed Sunday that it had begun the cutoff under orders from Defense Ministry.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement Sunday that the Sufa crossing between Gaza and Israel, used for transporting fuel, has been closed. Last week, Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave a green light for cuts to Gaza's fuel and electricity supplies.

"In line with the Israeli government's decision, the Defense Ministry will this week begin cutting fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip by between 5 and 11 percent, depending on the type of fuel," an Israeli security source said.

Government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said Sunday that Israel would not allow in any way a humanitarian crisis to develop in Gaza. "The terrorists are bombarding the crossing points of the fuels, and we do not feel the need to supply the terrorists," she said.

Mojahed Salama, head of the Palestinian Authority's Petrol Agency, said earlier Sunday that the fuel imports showed a 40 to 50 percent reduction in diesel and benzine supplies and a 12 percent reduction in fuel for Gaza's power plant. There was no immediate obvious impact on electricity supply.

"We sent the supplying company the same daily requests but they said they were sorry and that because of the new imposed sanctions they could only send us a reduced quantity," Salama said.

Gaza residents have begun to form lines at gasoline stations, stocking up for the imminent shortage. Intermittent power outages were also reported along the Strip, but it is not yet clear whether this is intentional.

Earlier Sunday, Israel denied having cut the fuel supply supply to Gaza. "No instructions have been received from the defense minister, and therefore there have not been any cutbacks," said Captain Shahdi Yassin, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry office that liaises with the Palestinian Authority.

Israel says it is seeking non-violent ways of pressuring Hamas, an Islamist group that seized control of Gaza in a June civil war, to stop cross-border rocket salvoes by Palestinian militants.

Gaza's power plant received a full supply of fuel on Sunday, officials with the European-funded fuel supply program said.

"The plant received the full amount for today. It was delivered," said a senior European Union official involved in overseeing the program.

The United Nations has told Israel it must not inflict collective punishment by denying vital supplies to Gaza's 1.5 million residents.

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Israel Radio on Saturday that the government's decision to periodically cut the flow of electricity to the Gaza Strip is another step in Israel's disengaging from responsibility for the area, and is not part of a policy of collective punishment.

Vilnai said he does not expect the latest sanctions to halt the continuing rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, and added that the limits placed on fuel and electricity supplies will be implemented either Sunday or Monday. The decision is pending legal approval.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that Israel would not cut off power to hospitals or cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, despite the limited power cuts.

Olmert made the pledge over a working lunch with Abbas at his Jerusalem residence, a government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as the meeting was closed to media coverage.

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      1.   lukewarm morning tea=collective punishment ... oh, the humanity! 12:39  |  matt 28/10/07
      2.   Collective Punishment 13:09  |  Abe 28/10/07
      3.   If it were done when tis done, then tis well it were done quickly 13:24  |  Yonatan 28/10/07
      4.   SDEROT=COLLECTIVE PALESTINIAN PUNISHMENT 13:29  |  EYE FOR AN EYE 28/10/07
      5.   Israel must bomb gaza to obtain a just peace 13:32  |  Steven 28/10/07
      6.   UN, pals must not inflict colective punishment 13:59  |  KUTW 28/10/07
      7.   Israel should STOP supplying the Hamastan, an enemy 14:04  |  Rami 28/10/07
      8.   Will America veto any Security Council resolution? 14:29  |  Clickfool 28/10/07
      9.   LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE IS LYING 14:36  |  Ian 28/10/07
      10.   Turkey is murdering poor defenseless Kurdish 14:52  |  Murray of Montreal 28/10/07
      11.   Silvienne; You have not answered the question yet. 14:55  |  Murray of Montreal 28/10/07
      12.   Ian.. feeling crumby :) 14:59  |  Nephtaly 28/10/07
      13.   I am so glad to hear about the reduction of supplies 15:03  |  KUTW 28/10/07
      14.   #8 Clickfool what planet are you living on? 15:06  |  Don Camillo 28/10/07
      15.   Gaza is a leech, cut it off 15:08  |  Andrew 28/10/07
      16.   #11Murray of Montreal: My response 15:09  |  Silvienne 28/10/07
      17.   Collective punishment is a counterproductive war crime. 15:15  |  Don Camillo 28/10/07
      18.   Say no to collective punishment perpetrated by palestinians 15:17  |  Johnny 28/10/07
      19.   Who`s the Nazi, Steven? 15:21  |  Michael 28/10/07
      20.   Good - a non violent way to respond 15:21  |  Hung Tran 28/10/07
      21.   Slashing supplies ??? 15:21  |  Joe 28/10/07
      22.   For Murray of Montreal # 11 15:23  |  Clickfool 28/10/07
      23.   #11 Murray`s question 15:24  |  chris 28/10/07
      24.   Not long now 15:35  |  Peter XM 28/10/07
      25.   Clickfool 15:44  |  Ehud 28/10/07
      26.   Silvienne and Murray of Montreal 15:46  |  Steven 28/10/07
      27.   Michael 15:58  |  Nephtaly 28/10/07
      28.   Gaza acts like a spoiled child 15:59  |  Moishe Kadish 28/10/07
      29.   Clicky, read the article again 15:59  |  Lynn 28/10/07
      30.   #26Steven: Murray`s question 16:04  |  Silvienne 28/10/07
      31.   21.Joe: Slashing supplies 16:15  |  KUTW 28/10/07
      32.   Hamas the War Party - Peace Party? 16:23  |  No more proxis 28/10/07
      33.   #10 Say Murray 16:56  |  ballistic 28/10/07
      34.   Israelis are digging their own graves & way out of the ME 16:59  |  dutch 28/10/07
      35.   #21 Joe, if Palestinians don`t like it, let them END the INTIFADA 17:05  |  Michelle 28/10/07
      36.   USA - No Guts "Push Button" Warriors 17:14  |  Double Click 28/10/07
      37.   How funny, the same people who cry collective punishment are the 17:15  |  Gabriel 28/10/07
      38.   No, No, No, No, And NO, Clickfool # 22 17:16  |  Eli 28/10/07
      39.   For my friend Don Camillo # 14 17:23  |  Clickfool 28/10/07
      40.   Never in History were cross border attacks rewarded by fuel deliv 17:25  |  Rob 28/10/07
      41.   19 Who`s the Nazi, Michael? 17:35  |  Rob 28/10/07
      42.   About time 17:36  |  B 28/10/07
      43.   #8 and #14 17:41  |  B 28/10/07
      44.   Murray Of Montreal 17:48  |  David Israel 28/10/07
      45.   # 8 Clickfool, Re UN Security Council Resolution 17:50  |  Dutch 28/10/07
      46.   Re #28 17:53  |  Joe 28/10/07
      47.   For Ehud 17:56  |  Clickfool 28/10/07
      48.   if qassams are not collective punishment, what is? 18:04  |  Shelley 28/10/07
      49.   #17 don 18:05  |  duncan 28/10/07
      50.   #23 chris 18:12  |  Axel 28/10/07
      51.   No Story 18:17  |  Ron 28/10/07
      52.   323 Chris of Munich re Silvienne and the question 18:25  |  Murray of Montreal 28/10/07
      53.   Cutting Supplies 18:48  |  JordanisPalestine 28/10/07
      54.   GAZA 18:57  |  alan 28/10/07
      55.   #33 Gabriel 19:11  |  Labhras 28/10/07
      56.   For Shelley # 44 19:20  |  Clickfool 28/10/07
      57.   Clickfool # 8 It Depends 19:23  |  Jeff Northridge 28/10/07
      58.   Re#31 19:24  |  Joe 28/10/07
      59.   Equitable next-step after cutting energy shipments from Israel.. 19:24  |  Dr. L. Brnd 28/10/07
      60.   Re#50 Alan 19:30  |  Joe 28/10/07
      61.   Collective Punishment - The New Buzzword? 19:32  |  Eli 28/10/07
      62.   Dutch & Clickfool 19:33  |  Brad 28/10/07
      63.   high hitler !!!!!!!!!!!! 19:33  |  mohammad 28/10/07
      64.   Rob in Ann Arbor on sleeping with the enemy. 19:33  |  Labhras 28/10/07
      65.   Camillo 19:34  |  Danite 28/10/07
      66.   Cillective punishement 19:36  |  Danite 28/10/07
      67.   #15 Andrew It takes one to recognise one. 19:41  |  Labhras 28/10/07
      68.   if I were Israel`s prime minister I would cease supplying 19:46  |  roger 28/10/07
      69.   How come Minister Barak is invisible? 20:00  |  Tosefta 28/10/07
      70.   further difficulty will only increase support for hamas 20:04  |  roberta 28/10/07
      71.   64Lahbras Not sleeping, participating in Genocide with the enemy 20:13  |  Rob 28/10/07
      72.   #39 Clickfool - I suspect its to derail Annapolis 20:13  |  Don Camillo 28/10/07
      73.   Clickfool or (Actual fool) 20:21  |  The Gentile 28/10/07
      74.   69Tosefta - Invisible Logic? 20:23  |  Rob 28/10/07
      75.   #25 Ehud (with apologies to clickfool) - becaus it is still occup 20:25  |  Don Camillo 28/10/07
      76.   LEHI`s attemt to save European Jewry is commendable 20:25  |  17 28/10/07
      77.   Gaza is a leech... 20:27  |  The Gentile 28/10/07
      78.   Good bye independent Gaza. Time to work.. 20:30  |  17 28/10/07
      79.   What Nonsense Tosefta # 69. As Defense Minister 20:31  |