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The Ashkelon power station, which both supplies the Gaza Strip with much of its electricity and is a prime target for Qassam rocket fire. (Archives) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 11:16 02/12/2007 Israel awaiting High Court ruling before cutting power to Gaza Strip By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Gaza, electricity, Israel  The defense establishment does not intend to begin reducing electricity from Israel to the Gaza Strip until it receives a green light from the High Court of Justice, legal officials said over the weekend. The statement came after the High Court ruling on Friday that the state must provide clarifications and additional information before the court considers approving power cuts. Although the High Court stopped short of issuing an injunction forcing the state to wait before implementing a power cut, the justices said they "assumed that until the required additional information and necessary clarifications are received, the plan to limit electricity to the Gaza Strip will not begin to be implemented." Advertisement The High Court ruling means a delay of at least three weeks before Israel reduces electricity to Gaza, because the state has 12 days to provide the information. Those who oppose the move then have a week to file their briefs with the court before justices Dorit Beinisch, Esther Hayut and Joseph Elon make their final ruling. The justices also ruled on Friday to accept the state's intention to limit fuel supplies to Gaza. The court approved the step as long as priority can be given to humanitarian needs after the limitation. The justices asked for more information about the meeting of Colonel Shlomi Muchtar of the Israel Defense Forces liaison office with the Palestinians on the implications of reducing electricity supplies to Gaza. They also want to hear about the impact of an additional transformer to be brought from Egypt to the strip, and seek details on the government's statement that power consumption in Gaza can be regulated to prevent overuse for nonessential needs. The justices ruled that the supply of fuel can be reduced because "we are not persuaded that it cannot be distributed based on priorities" that would take humanitarian needs into consideration. The Justice Ministry responded: "With regard to electricity, the court chose not to issue an injunction but asked the state to provide additional information, and accepted the state's stance that there is no need in the framework of the petition to discuss matters of principle with which the petitioners wanted to deal." One of the petitioners, Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, welcomed the court's decision to delay reductions in electricity, but added that it is very concerned over a "lack of willingness to intervene" in Israel's decision to limit fuel supplies. Gisha said the court was "ignoring Israel's obligations as the ruling power on Gaza's borders to supply fuel and essential products." According to attorney Hassan Jabarin of the Adalah center for Arab minority rights in Israel: "The justices' decision approving the reduction of fuel constitutes serious harm to the basic principle of international humanitarian law." He added that international law prohibited the use of a civilian population for political purposes and prohibited collective punishment. Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann has repeatedly said the High Court should not be able to adjudicate such matters. He also opposed Attorney General Menachem Mazuz's striking down of the security establishment's preliminary plan to reduce electricity to the Gaza Strip. Related articles: High Court orders state to delay planned power cuts to Gaza Gaza's bleak reality Bookmark to del.icio.us Muslim about face A key U.K. Muslim group ends its boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day. Calling all Aleppo Jews Yad Ben-Zvi is calling for the return of centuries-old Aleppo Codex fragments.   1.   ignore the court 03:14  |  vik 02/12/07   2.   Whatever it takes to stop the Qassams 04:02  |  Conroy 02/12/07   3.   If the Quassams stop then what? 06:18  |  Fred Omran 02/12/07   4.   bla bla bla 06:32  |  Denise 02/12/07   5.   What am I missing? 06:44  |  Typherious 02/12/07   6.   Dictatorship of the Un-Elected Supreme Junta 06:46  |  Straight Talk 02/12/07   7.   Loss of electricity won`t stop the Kassams... 07:43  |  Silvienne 02/12/07   8.   it should have been cut years ago 09:30  |  victor hardman 02/12/07   9.   Who is running this crazy country?! 09:59  |  Alex 02/12/07   10.   HAMAS will not fire Qassems till Gaza judiciary gives OK?? 10:01  |  PETER SM 02/12/07   11.   UNELECTED JUDGES SHOULD STAY OUT OF SECURITY ISSUES! 10:07  |  Nancy 02/12/07   12.   High Court 11:29  |  Mordo 02/12/07   13.   for vik new york 11:47  |  john 02/12/07   14.   show your other cheek 13:21  |  vogel 02/12/07   15.   Vik 13:39  |  Tito Anselmi 02/12/07   16.   its the green thing to do 13:42  |  sj 02/12/07   17.   electricity for schools & hospitals only until END OF QASSAMFIRE 14:22  |  Michelle 02/12/07   18.   No objection to Israel disengaging from Gaza and the West Bank 14:45  |  Paul Wood 02/12/07   19.   No 7 14:47  |  jackie 02/12/07   20.   Vik and Tito are wrong 14:51  |  Jackie 02/12/07   21.   Churchil Bombed Dresden 15:05  |  Proud Israeli 02/12/07   22.   #7 Hello Silvienne, Wait until the world see & hears 15:09  |  Dutch 02/12/07   23.   Perhaps the Gazans will Cut off their own Power. 15:21  |  Proud Israeli 02/12/07   24.   Some justice minister telling the court what to do 15:29  |  Dutch 02/12/07   25.   Don`t cut off the electricity to the poor terrorists 15:39  |  KUTW 02/12/07   26.   Dutch and Silvienne may I ask..... 15:44  |  Axelrod 02/12/07   27.   WHAT?ANOTHER THOUSAND DEAD ISRAELIS? 17:31  |  NEIL GOLAN 02/12/07   28.   What do you think,Israel is a NORMAL country? 17:50  |  TOMY 02/12/07   29.   #18 Paul,About the roads excidents you are 18:16  |  TOMY 02/12/07   30.   Neil Gordan, You are one with the abnormal thinking 18:49  |  Dutch Gordan 02/12/07   31.   #18 Have you ever seen a Palestinian peace march? 19:18  |  Proud Israeli 02/12/07   32.   how about this... 19:22  |  vik 02/12/07   33.   Churchil Bombed Dresden 19:35  |  Mark Lincoln 02/12/07   34.   # 31 20:27  |  O.F O S. 02/12/07   35.   Cutting Power 20:42  |  Rachel Simson 02/12/07   36.   Cutoff the bastards` water: No Arabs = No terror 20:46  |  Feiglin will do it 02/12/07   37.   Alexrod, My Response 22:03  |  Dutch 02/12/07   38.   #33 Mark Lincoln, well said. 22:33  |  Dutch 02/12/07   39.   Fuel supplies 23:10  |  Tito Anselmi 02/12/07   40.   Mark Lincoln, Re Kurt Vonnegut & Dresden 23:28  |  Dutch 02/12/07   41.   mark spouting total crap as usual 23:30  |  victor hardman 02/12/07   42.   Planet Dutch 23:39  |  Uday H. 02/12/07   43.   #31 Proud Israeli 23:43  |  Labhras 02/12/07   44.   to Axelrod 23:43  |  Jimmy 02/12/07   45.   Dutch - Vonnegut and Dresden 02:12  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/07   46.   Victor Hardman 02:18  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/07   47.   Living in the lunatic land of blather - Victor 02:26  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/07   48.   Israel need only renounce 04:42  |  Mark Lincoln 03/12/07   49.   it means that the terrorists are safe... 05:29  |  felix 03/12/07   50.   #46more inventive crap by mark 07:59  |  victor hardman 03/12/07   51.   They started the war, we had the bomb, and we were going to use i 08:24  |  Israel 1973? 03/12/07   52.   Cut Supplies 08:40  |  Ron 03/12/07   53.   #50 So, victor, a quick question for you... 09:10  |  Johnboy 03/12/07   54.   #50 Johnboy from Aussieland, You pretend to be smart and 15:08  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 03/12/07   55.   Supreme court ruling needed before- 16:11  |  Eisenhower/MacArthur 03/12/07   56.   Mark Lincoln, Actions speak louder than words.. 23:57  |  Dutch 03/12/07   57.   #54, Max Zinger..to Johnboy... 03:42  |  Silvienne 04/12/07

Today Online U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons work in 2003 Responses: 141 In nod to Abbas, Israel frees another 429 Palestinian prisoners Responses: 197 Akiva Eldar: Avigdor Lieberman's settler friends can relax Responses: 92 Report: Israel's disabled worst off in Western world Responses: 52 Officials: Extraordinary measures used on 17% of Gazan inmates Responses: 58 Rosner's Domain Israel Factor: the panel wants a 'Clinton' but votes Giuliani Poll: Do you trust the new intelligence on Iran? "Anyone who shows contempt for Bush - not serious person," says Olmert Clinton was for it before he was against it (or vice versa) / WTR More Headlines 03:13 J'lem sources: U.S. losing sense of urgency on Iran 02:51 U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons development in 2003 02:44 ANALYSIS: Iran nuke study pulls military option off the table 22:02 U.K. Muslim group ends boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day 03:32 Colleagues back lecturer who threw soldier out of classroom 03:57 Haredi dominance of Beit Shemesh 'is only matter of time' 22:25 Red Cross: Hamas isn't ruling out handing over letter from Shalit 22:01 Most Arab MKs boycott special Knesset session commemorating partition plan 02:29 Security clearance required for Palestinians seeking treatment 21:32 In Syria, chief PA negotiator promises to coordinate on peace talks Previous Editions Select Day 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov 25 nov 23 nov 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov

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