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Last update - 22:45 30/10/2007
EU urges Israel to reconsider cuts in energy supply to Gaza
By Yuval Yoaz and Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondents, and News Agencies
tags: Israel, Qassam, Gaza Strip 

The European Union on Tuesday urged Israel to carefully reconsider the impact its cuts in energy supplies to the Gaza Strip will have on Palestinian civilians.

Israel began on Sunday reducing fuel shipments to Gaza in response to militant rocket fire on the western Negev. It also had planned to periodically cut the coastal territory's electricity supply, but Attorney General Menachem Mazuz temporarily nixed the plan on Monday.

"The EU notes with concern Israel's decision to reduce the supply of fuel to Gaza, an essential service to the civilian population," said a statement from the Portuguese government, which holds the EU's rotating presidency.
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"While condemning the unacceptable and continued attacks on Israel's territory and recognizing the Israel's legitimate right to self defense, the EU underlines the need for carefully weighing the negative impact of such measures on a civilian population already living under very difficult conditions," the statement added.

Although the EU refuses to work with Gaza's ruling party, Hamas, it maintains humanitarian support.

"Mindful of the humanitarian and economic plight of the Palestinian people, the EU remains committed to continue its assistance and will do its utmost to ensure the provision of emergency and humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza, whom it will not abandon," its statement said.

Mazuz on Monday prohibited cutting off electricity to parts of the Strip for the time being following a petition submitted by 10 human rights organizations, asking the High Court of Justice not to allow punitive measures against the Gaza Strip's population. The petitioners argued that the decision to cut off vital power supplies was illegal and was likely to harm the innocent civilian population in the embattled coastal strip.

Mazuz decided that Israel has the right to sever economic and commercial ties with the Gaza Strip, which Jerusalem last month declared a "hostile territory". However, in regard to halting the electricity supply, the attorney general said that further consideration would be required before such a measure could be implemented without violating the prime minister's promise last week "not to cause a humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.

Israel's defense establishment has expressed plans to cut electricity by 1 per cent - or 15 minutes each day - to those areas in the Strip from where the rockets are fired, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

Israel began Sunday reducing its weekly supply of vital gasoline to Gaza by 15 percent and of diesel by 13 percent. But, Dror said, Israel would not touch the supply of crude diesel to Gaza's main power plant, which used up some 1.74 litres a week.

Ban calls for end to Qassams, urges no Israeli punitive measures
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called on Gaza militants to stop the attacks against Israel, but also asked Israel not to take punitive measures that would hurt the civilian population.

"The secretary-general reiterates his call for the cessation of indiscriminate rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeting Israel and strongly condemns these actions," said UN spokesperson Michelle Montas.

"However, he also believes strongly that punitive measures taken by Israel, which will harm the well-being of the entire population of the Gaza Strip, are unacceptable," she said.

Further tightening its closure of the Strip, Israel also closed the Sufa border crossing with southern Gaza, one of two crossings that had remained open during the past months for the passage of humanitarian aid.

The only outlet now remaining open to humanitarian aid is the southern-most Kerem Shalom crossing, a military spokeswoman said.

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said closing the crossing enhanced the "vulnerability" of Gaza's 1.5 million inhabitants, many of whom rely on food hand-outs.

A WFP spokeswoman in Jerusalem, Kirstie Campbell, acknowledged both Kerem Shalom and Sufa border crossings "have been under sustained mortar and rocket attacks from Palestinian militants," but warned that the remaining crossing of Kerem Shalom lacked the capacity to meet Gaza's daily needs of basic foods. While Sufa had the capacity to let through about 100 trucks a day, Kerem Shalom had about half that, she said.


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  • Acting out of frustration in Gaza
  • ANALYSIS: Israel's real intention behind sanctions on Gaza Strip
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      1.   "Unacceptable"?? 20:00  |  Peter Helm 29/10/07
      2.   Oy Haaretz you missed something 20:03  |  Mahmoud 29/10/07
      3.   Israel is a coward entiety,unwilling to defend her civilians and 20:03  |  Absolute Sweden 29/10/07
      4.   Israel is entitled not to supply anything to its enemies. No 20:53  |  Gideon Artzi 29/10/07
      5.   The phony UN 21:23  |  Jason, Ph.D. 29/10/07
      6.   un if cannot stop rokets is useless and its advice is meanless 21:33  |  ralph 29/10/07
      7.   It`s OK to Murder Jews: Jews must not defend themselves 21:42  |  Elly@aol.com 29/10/07
      8.   The UN asks for stoppage of Rockets..again 21:43  |  H.M 29/10/07
      9.   Biased UN.....???? 21:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/10/07
      10.   Who is running the country anyway? 21:53  |  Daniel 29/10/07
      11.   But will the Pals cut off kassams? Nope. 21:59  |  Joe Sittizen 29/10/07
      12.   encouraging an environment of popular uprising against rulers 22:01  |  Pablo B 29/10/07
      13.   Once again, politics impedes progress 22:01  |  Mark 29/10/07
      14.   Move Mazuz`s Family And Office To Sderot 22:06  |  Yishai Kohen 29/10/07
      15.   WHERE DOES LOGIC LIE 22:14  |  sam el llanito 29/10/07
      16.   This is Case For NO MORE LAND WITHDRAWAL! 22:21  |  Ben S 29/10/07
      17.   The AG`s house should be under mortar attack 22:22  |  iKeltin 29/10/07
      18.   Thank Mazuz for sanity..... 22:24  |  Esther 29/10/07
      19.   WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ISRAELIS 22:26  |  david 29/10/07
      20.   Cutting off electricity, and ... 22:26  |  John Sayes 29/10/07
      21.   #7 Daniel, Rule of Law is running the country 22:35  |  Pablo B 29/10/07
      22.   Jason #2, by the same token..... 22:41  |  Esther 29/10/07
      23.   Repeating the errors of Leb. War II 22:45  |  Pablo B 29/10/07
      24.   re: Elly 22:47  |  Paulo 29/10/07
      25.   What`s Going On? ????? 22:50  |  Dolly 29/10/07
      26.   Abu Mazen is happy 22:50  |  Paulo 29/10/07
      27.   Gutless Israeli Leadership 22:52  |  avrum 29/10/07
      28.   Cutting off electricity would backfire 22:52  |  Yaron 29/10/07
      29.   #2 Jason - Abbas and UN offered UN troops, Sharon rejected it 22:55  |  Pablo B 29/10/07
      30.   So long as it remains the "occupying power" 22:55  |  Mark Lincoln 29/10/07
      31.   Israel has no oil - so? 22:57  |  Paul 29/10/07
      32.   #16 Phil Best 23:06  |  Boycott 29/10/07
      33.   #6 swiss un bias p2 23:10  |  duncan 29/10/07
      34.   Oh come on Mazuz be a mensch 23:12  |  Pretty woman 29/10/07
      35.   A Nuts Decision 23:12  |  Ron 29/10/07
      36.   Olmert vowed to alleviate the crisis in Sderot 23:14  |  * BEN JABO 29/10/07
      37.   #24 Lincoln - didn`t you know 23:15  |  * BEN JABO 29/10/07
      38.   #23 Pablo B 23:19  |  * BEN JABO 29/10/07
      39.   Swiss #6 23:25  |  Jason, Ph.D. 29/10/07
      40.   Israel will cut off electricity anyway 23:27  |  DoubleCheck 29/10/07
      41.   #6 swiss, un secretry generals on un-israel bias 23:35  |  duncan 29/10/07
      42.   25Pablo UNIFIL troops did not prevent Hezballa attacks & rocketss 23:38  |  Rob 29/10/07
      43.   unis a terrorist enabler. 23:42  |  Avram 29/10/07
      44.   Entire Israeli Gov Should Move to Sderot 23:51  |  Jane 29/10/07
      45.   Esther,Lithuanian peasants got exasperated with your family,obvio 23:56  |  Absolute Sweden 29/10/07
      46.   #29 Rob - UNIFIL mandate was VERY weak until 2006 00:05  |  Pablo B 30/10/07
      47.   Egypt should take back it`s Gaza 00:48  |  jo 30/10/07
      48.   #40 Entire Israeli Gov Should Move to Sderot. WRONG!!! TO GAZA 00:53  |  John a gentile 30/10/07
      49.   Rule of law 00:56  |  Philippe 30/10/07
      50.   #12 Move Mazuz`s Family And Office To Sderot. WRONG! TO GAZA 00:58  |  John the gentile 30/10/07
      51.   Swiss (Dino) # 7 00:58  |  Philippe 30/10/07
      52.   Halt nothing 00:59  |  Brett 30/10/07
      53.   To all the navive and ignorant 01:00  |  Wiseman 30/10/07
      54.   Esther @16. GO TO GAZA ESTHER AND DEFEND ARAB RIGHTS FROM THERE! 01:00  |  John the gentile 30/10/07
      55.   Daniel # 8 01:01  |  Philippe 30/10/07
      56.   attorny general too sympathetic to hamas 01:03  |  yechiel 30/10/07
      57.   jews started middle east terrorism (king david hotel bombing) 01:07  |  zack 30/10/07
      58.   What about dead jews? 01:09  |  bernard rosss 30/10/07
      59.   Esther #20 01:15  |  Jason, Ph.D. 30/10/07
      60.   Pablo #27 and Mark Lincoln #28 01:22  |  Jason, Ph.D. 30/10/07
      61.   would moshe and yoshua be worried about pals humaniterian crisis? 01:29  |  yahn goodey 30/10/07
      62.   # 31 / # 37 duncan 01:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/10/07
      63.   Little Wonder 01:47  |  Ayman 30/10/07
      64.   It just might work. 01:58  |  Stephen. 30/10/07
      65.   Jane - it might focus their minds 02:04  |  Mark Lincoln 30/10/07
      66.   INHUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS! 02:23  |  NEIL GOLAN 30/10/07
      67.   BAN THE BAN KI-MOON 02:33  |  NEIL 30/10/07
      68.   You Get What You Deserve 02:34  |  Mark 30/10/07
      69.   THIS GOVERNMENT SHOULD GO 02:41  |  D.Iverse 30/10/07
      70.   ???????? 03:14  |  emad matahin 30/10/07
      71.   In a true democracy, the non-elected AG cannot overrule the gov`t 03:29  |  Dr. L. Brnd 30/10/07
      72.   accuracy? 03:30  |  Dov Okouneff 30/10/07
      73.   Where are the human rights groups ? 03:40  |  Fortuna Benmayor 30/10/07
      74.   Re: #11 mark of NY 03:43  |  emad matahin 30/10/07
      75.   #16, Esther...well said! 04:35  |  Silvienne 30/10/07
      76.   #21, Pablo B.... 05:15  |  Silvienne 30/10/07
      77.   PabloB meets the knight of mirrors and crashes 06:02  |  peter 30/10/07
      78.   #46 Total nonsense from the Brnd 07:10  |  Johnboy 30/10/07