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Palestinian children hold candles during a protest against fuel cuts, which led to a blackout in Gaza Sunday. (Reuters)
Last update - 00:41 21/01/2008
Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel blockade
By Amos Harel and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents, and The Associated Press
Tags: Gaza Strip, Palestinians 

Gaza's only electrical plant shut down Sunday after Israel blocked the shipment of fuel that powers them, plunging Gaza City and the northern strip into darkness and sending already beleaguered Gazans to stock up on food and batteries in anticipation of long, dark, cold days ahead.

Four hours after the blackout, Hamas says that five patients died because of the cutoff of electricity in hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Israel Air Force attempted to assassinate an Al Aqsa Bridage senior official late Sunday night in an air strike in northern Gaza. The official was injured in the strike and one of his men was killed.
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Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal appealed to Arab leaders and his rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on Sunday asking them to forget their differences and help the beleaguered Gazans.

The plea was rare show of emotion for the hard-line Khaled Mashaal, who lives in exile in Damascus, Syria.

"All Arab leaders, exercise real pressure to stop this Zionist crime ... take up your role and responsibility," he told Al-Jazeera satellite TV in a live interview from Syria. "We are not asking you to wage a military war against Israel ... but just stand with us in pride and honor."

Mashaal said he had been in contact Sunday with some Arab countries including Egypt and Saudi Arabia to see if they would pressure Israel.

A UN agency and human rights groups condemned Israel, but Israel said they should direct their criticism at Palestinian militant groups that fire rockets at southern Israel every day.

Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for Israel's Defense Ministry, said Gaza has enough fuel and accused Palestinian officials of trying to create the impression of a crisis that did not exist. Israel sealed all crossings into Gaza last week because of a spike in rocket barrages against southern Israel from the territory. The fuel supply into Gaza was reduced several weeks ago as a pressure tactic.

In addition to the fuel it receives from Israel to power its electrical plant, Gaza gets about two-thirds of its electricity directly from Israel. Israeli officials said that supply would not be affected.

According to a report by Israel Radio, the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis have begun to receive electricity from Egypt.

Hamas officials shut down the plant and plunged Gaza City and the northern strip into total darkness, Gaza Energy Authority head Kanan Obeid said. TV crews and reporters were invited to witness the shutdown just before 8 P.M., when Gaza residents took to the streets in protest.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas demanded that Israel cease its blockade of Gaza and renew the flow of fuel to the Strip.

Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain warned that the fuel cutoff would cause a health catastrophe. "We have the choice to either cut electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients or stop operating rooms," he said.

Residents of Gaza City were buying up batteries and candles, as well as basic foods like rice, flour and cooking oil, said grocery store owner Sami Mousa. "More would be doing the same," he said, "but the problem is that the people don't have the money to buy."

Bakeries stopped operating because of the blockade, bakers said, because they had neither power nor flour.

There were no signs of panic, as Gazans have been living with fuel cutbacks, power outages and shortages of supplies since Islamic Hamas militants took over the seaside territory in June. But the power plant's closure would mean the loss of a third of the electricity for the territory's residents, largely affecting the 400,000 people in Gaza City, the main population center.

The regular fuel shipment from Israel hadn't arrived Sunday because the fuel terminal was closed, and the plant has nearly no stored reserves, said Rafik Maliha, director of the power plant. As of late afternoon, power outages were noticeable in parts of Gaza City.

Earlier, Obeid called on Gazans to cut back their use of electric appliances. The UN organization in charge of Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warned the move would drastically affect hospitals, sewage treatment plants and water facilities.

"The logic of this defies basic humanitarian standards," said Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency. Human rights groups also condemned the fuel cutoff, with the British group Oxfam calling it ineffective as well as unlawful. Gisha, an Israeli group that has fought the fuel cutbacks in Supreme Court, said "punishing Gaza's 1.5 million civilians does not stop the rocket fire; it only creates an impossible 'balance' of human suffering on both sides of the border."

Fayiz Abu Shammaleh, mayor of the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, said if the fuel stoppage continued the municipality would have to stop collecting garbage, pumping water and treating sewage, instead funneling waste directly into the Mediterranean.

Hospitals can move to generators when the power goes out, but will have to cut back some activities like laundry, waste incineration and sterilization, hospital officials said. People still had enough fuel to cook Sunday and were able to power their electric heaters, but it was not clear how long that would last.

Dozens of people were seen lining outside a bakery in downtown Gaza, fearing the electricity cutoff would lead to a bread shortage.

Cabinet minister Zeev Boim said that rather than condemning Israel's move, the UN should condemn Palestinian militants for subjecting Israeli civilians to barrages of rockets. "I don't hear the UN's voice," Boim said.

Israel, with Egypt's cooperation, has largely blockaded Gaza since Hamas violently seized power there in June. Under Hamas rule, militants have been free to fire near-daily rocket barrages at western Negev towns around Gaza. Rocket attacks have markedly increase since last week due to an escalation in violence between Gazan militants and the Israel Defense Forces.

Despite imposing the blockade, Israel allowed basic food items and humanitarian supplies into Gaza. That changed Thursday, when Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered all crossings closed after days of exceptionally intense rocket fire.

The fuel terminal that supplies Gaza remained closed Sunday because of the Palestinian rocket fire, Defense Ministry spokesman Dror said. "But there is still fuel in Gaza, and the closure will not lead to a crisis," he said.

"If they shut it down, it's not because of a fuel shortage, but because they want to create the impression of a crisis," Dror said. "The power plant shutdown," he said, "would not be comfortable, but it's not a humanitarian crisis."

Officials had no precise definition of what constitutes a humanitarian crisis.

Despite the damage the sanctions are causing Gaza's population, Hamas said its attacks on Israel would not cease.

"We will not raise the white flag, and we will not surrender," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

Hamas' rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also protested the sealing of the crossings. "This is a painful time for the president. He is trying to stop this closure," said Nabil Shaath, an Abbas spokesman.


Related articles:
  • Gazans struggle to keep warm facing fuel, electricity shortages
  • IDF allows transfer of vital medicine into the Gaza Strip
  • PM: Negev residents showing 'endurance' despite rockets
  • IDF: Gaza fuel cuts don't violate humanitarian duty
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    Will power
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      1.   Gaza Power 12:06  |  Chris 20/01/08
      2.   Euros are paying! Why Israelis complaining about paying then? 12:19  |  Jeremy Martin 20/01/08
      3.   Pals can only blames themselves for this mess 13:10  |  Aaron 20/01/08
      4.   SDEROT shuts down only fair Gaza shuts down. 13:16  |  PETER SM 20/01/08
      5.   JMARTIN Why Aren`t Arab brothers paying? Ever wondered? 13:44  |  PETER SM 20/01/08
      6.   #4 Aaron 13:47  |  Chris 20/01/08
      7.   we must fight this! 13:48  |  Leon Rosgarten 20/01/08
      8.   R U unclear on the concept of capitalism Jeremy? 14:22  |  MaryRose 20/01/08
      9.   Arye Mekel is an idiot. Close all supplies to Gaza, period. 15:16  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/01/08
      10.   # 3 your ignorance does not suit you 15:47  |  Kris 20/01/08
      11.   Solution to problem: use rocket fuel 15:53  |  Joe Sittizen 20/01/08
      12.   # 5 I do wonder where you get your 15:56  |  Kris 20/01/08
      13.   They made their bed, let them lie in it 16:15  |  Jewish Boychick 20/01/08
      14.   We should feel badly? DON`T THINK SO! 16:18  |  Yossi 20/01/08
      15.   what about all them people on life suport equipments in hospitals 16:21  |  sami 20/01/08
      16.   Where are their Arab Borthers??? 16:23  |  Voice of Reason 20/01/08
      17.   I am so glad 16:49  |  KUTW 20/01/08
      18.   Europeans are stupid 16:51  |  Chris 20/01/08
      19.   Its this easy! just be done with it cut them off. 16:58  |  Joe 20/01/08
      20.   ### 17 16:58  |  ramachandran nair 20/01/08
      21.   BURN YOUR QASSAMS FOR ELECTRICITY 17:22  |  Yishai Kohen 20/01/08
      22.   Sorry, Sami #15, but Hamas prefers more martyrs 17:26  |  Joe Sittizen 20/01/08
      23.   L.Rosgarten,help is near,the Red Baron Akiva Eldar`ll move to Gaz 17:33  |  Absolute Sweden 20/01/08
      24.   sami 17:59  |  vik 20/01/08
      25.   POWER SUPPLY FOR GAZA 18:03  |  MJ 20/01/08
      26.   Associated Press 18:17  |  leon 20/01/08
      27.   Associated Press 18:22  |  leon 20/01/08
      28.   Collective punishment 18:48  |  jjvanka 20/01/08
      29.   pals/eu must pay for the damage they do. 19:08  |  ralph 20/01/08
      30.   Let the Salafis Go Back to the Old Ways 19:53  |  Ahmed 20/01/08
      31.   burn rocket fuel 19:57  |  frenz 20/01/08
      32.   let those b... in the dark 20:07  |  maurice 20/01/08
      33.   Hamas stealing Gaza hospitals` fuel 20:09  |  Gil 20/01/08
      34.   29/ right, and when will Israel pay billions for damage its done? 20:10  |  Jeremy Martin 20/01/08
      35.   Jeremy Martin 20:16  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/01/08
      36.   35/Famous Margie - You should be ashamed. Israel is the cause. 20:31  |  Jeremy Martin 20/01/08
      37.   Opening the door to UNSCR resolutions 20:32  |  Pablo B 20/01/08
      38.   To Mr. Moon (shine) 20:35  |  Avi 20/01/08
      39.   One Qassam can power Gaza City for 2 hours 20:40  |  Boris 20/01/08
      40.   Boim is delusional about UN 20:43  |  Pablo B 20/01/08
      41.   5/Peter - Iran will pay! 8/MaryRose - International Law 20:47  |  Jeremy Martin 20/01/08
      42.   Check it up, read all about it!!!! 20:50  |  Gil 20/01/08
      43.   get hospitals to provide names 20:51  |  vik 20/01/08
      44.   Keep it up Israel 20:54  |  Joey 20/01/08
      45.   Pal idiots always calling general strikes 20:56  |  Maya 20/01/08
      46.   Collective Punishment 20:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 20/01/08
      47.   Olmert and Bush 21:02  |  Palestian 20/01/08
      48.   sewage treatment plants 21:26  |  engineer 20/01/08
      49.   Hamas, You Need Academics To Counter Your Epidemics! 21:27  |  Lavi 20/01/08
      50.   "Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel shortage" I must say, I 21:30  |  Ruti 20/01/08
      51.   Collective Punishment is a crime 21:31  |  Kris 20/01/08
      52.   Was hitler right? 21:33  |  Tom 20/01/08
      53.   Pals seek to have it both ways 21:34  |  Sam 20/01/08
      54.   UN shipment of Explosives to Gaza defies ANY NORMS and RULES 21:35  |  Vittorio 20/01/08
      55.   This is a clear Israeli war crime 21:37  |  Clickfool 20/01/08
      56.   End the vile siege,you rotters and get out of Palestinian land 21:39  |  lakshmi 20/01/08
      57.   Israel is finally doing the correct thing, Now get rid of Hamas 21:42  |  Shepherd 20/01/08
      58.   no colective punishment -it will accomplish nothing 21:44  |  roberta 20/01/08
      59.   Gaza Power Crisis 21:46  |  Serena 20/01/08
      60.   Long Live the Palestinian Struggle 21:54  |  Loyal Supporter 20/01/08
      61.   Alltogether now, lets sing..... 21:56  |  leo 20/01/08
      62.   Don`t really care if it`s a genuine humanitarian crisis 22:04  |  hebro 20/01/08
      63.   #42 boris the clucking fool and war 22:16  |  v hardman 20/01/08
      64.   CHILDREN WILL SUFFER 22:16  |  TOBIA 20/01/08
      65.   Let there be light............. 22:19  |  David 20/01/08
      66.   #49 22:34  |  Yuri 20/01/08
      67.   40 Sam,either you don`t really know the situation or you are 22:35  |  lakshmi