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A Palestinian holding candles during a demonstration in the West Bank town of Bethlehem against Israel's blockade on Gaza in January. (Reuters) Last update - 23:36 07/02/2008 Israel begins reducing electricity supply to Gaza By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Gaza Strip, Qassam rockets  Israel cut the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip by one percent late Thursday, Defense Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror said. The cut is part of Israel's campaign to exert pressure on Gazans to stop militant rocket attacks on southern Israel. Dror said the cut was so small that it would hardly be felt in Gaza. The small reduction set in motion a plan authorized by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai. Defense Minister Ehud Barak had previously approved a plan to reduce electricity, gasoline and diesel fuel supplies in late October last year, thereby accepting the defense establishment's recommendation to impose economic sanctions on the Gaza Strip. Advertisement On Thursday, Palestinian militants fired at least ten Qassam rockets and eight mortar shells into Israel. Israel currently supplies 126 megawatts of electricity to the Strip via ten electrical lines. According to the authorized reduction plan, the supply in one of the ten lines will be reduced by 5 percent during the coming days, and a similar amount will be reduced from one additional line every following week. The Defense Ministry was planning to hold an assessment meeting as the plan progresses to examine options regarding how Israel should proceed. Aside from the electricity supplied by Israel, Gaza independently produces 65 megawatts of electricity, and receives 17 megawatts from Egypt. Human rights groups have complained that measures like cutting back on fuel and power are collective punishment, harming innocent civilians. While imposing the limits, Israel insists it will not cause a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. "We want the Gazans to take care of themselves, and we are operating to minimize the assistance granted to them by Israel," Vilnai said Thursday during a ceremony marking the opening of new bomb shelters in the rocket-ridden southern city of Sderot. "We must wean Gaza off its dependency on Israel in various areas. The High Court of Justice ruled that we are operating in a proper manner - we are gradually reducing in percentage increments the supply of electricity, and meanwhile, the Gazans are building alternative electricity production infrastructure," the deputy minister added. When asked whether he supports the idea of an independent port in Gaza, Vilnai said "if they want it? Yes." The new public bomb shelters were not funded by the government, but rather by a non-profit organization named "Keren Yedidut - International Fellowship of Christians and Jews" (IFCJ). Vilnai arrived at the ceremony accompanied by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who heads the organization. Vilnai was asked why the government hadn't funded the new shelters, and the deputy minister responded that "the government is investing substantial amounts of money in the protection of the residents of Sderot, and Keren Yedidut is part of the collective effort against our enemies." Netanyahu: Israel must employ policy of deterrence rather than attrition Head of the opposition and Likud Party chairman Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday visited the southern towns of Sderot and Dimona and said that the "government's policy in the south is a direct continuation of the failed policy, as is mentioned in the Winograd report, used in Lebanon." Netanyahu was referring to the methods employed by the government and the military during the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in the summer of 2006. The opposition leader added that "Israel must employ a policy of deterrence rather than a policy of attrition, and the government must make a decision to allow the IDF to paralyze a terrorist organization that fires Qassam rockets on southern towns." Netanyahu met with yeshiva students in the rocket-weary Sderot and said explained that during the administration under his premiership, the number of terrorist attacks against Israel was dramatically reduced due to his policy of deterrence that his government took upon itself. Barak vows harsher IDF response if Qassam fire continues Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed Thursday harsher military action, should Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip continue to fire Qassam rockets at southern Israel. "If the Qassam fire continues, we will step up and step up our [military] activity, and the other side's losses, until the problem is resolved," said Barak during a visit to the Israel Defense Forces' Ze'elim training base. "The military action is bearing fruit," said the defense minister. "This will not end today or tomorrow, but the combination of military action on one hand, and sanctions on the Strip on the other, as well as fortification [of buildings] in some of the [Israeli] communities, will in the end bring the Qassam fire to a halt." Related articles: Israel to start gradually reducing Gaza power supply December 2 Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel blockade Court demands State explain how it will prevent Gaza crisis Bookmark to del.icio.us   Will power Shas Minister Yitzhak Cohen says only a complete Gaza power cut will bring results. The cost of security U.S. estimate: Preparing Palestinian security forces for statehood will cost $7 billion.   1.   Terror versus "terror" 18:10  |  Minda 07/02/08   2.   More collective punishment by Israel ( a jewish value?) 18:14  |  POP 07/02/08   3.   make picture come true there is egypt good ridence 18:20  |  ralph 07/02/08   4.   Is the reduction going to gradually increase? 18:26  |  B 07/02/08   5.   This worked sooo well the last time... 18:27  |  Aphemia 07/02/08   6.   Complete Dismay 18:30  |  Ussishkin 07/02/08   7.   You can`t have it both ways 18:30  |  fiona 07/02/08   8.   Stop the aid don`t just reduce it. 18:46  |  Brian V Hunt 07/02/08   9.   Let them plan their terror attacks in the dark 18:47  |  jewish gal 07/02/08   10.   give them more, not less power, in the form of explosions 18:52  |  frenz 07/02/08   11.   Israeli news is all about the Palestinians 18:58  |  Arab 07/02/08   12.   Arabs hate Jews more than they love their children 19:02  |  Rick and TC 07/02/08   13.   At Israel is slowly breaking the Backbone of militants 19:02  |  The Archives 07/02/08   14.   Your sadism won`t succeed 19:09  |  Tim 07/02/08   15.   to Poop 19:14  |  Rory 07/02/08   16.   Counterforce is the Strategy of Realism 19:17  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 07/02/08   17.   J*ws play N**i Arabs play J*ws Russkys RIGHT ??? 19:19  |  M. S. 07/02/08   18.   #5 and # 7 19:23  |  Edifice 07/02/08   19.   Begin reducing power supply.... 19:54  |  JordanisPalestine 07/02/08   20.   I hate to be petty about this ... 19:55  |  bumph 07/02/08   21.   To #1 - Pop - Grow up! 19:58  |  Yossi 07/02/08   22.   What is this gradual reduction nonsense? cutoff everything NOW! 20:08  |  Feiglin for PM 07/02/08   23.   O.K. Hamas. Now I`m angry. So I`m gonna get tough. Real tough. 20:08  |  ehud barak pm 07/02/08   24.   During WW2, did allies gradually reduce Axis electricity? 20:10  |  Eilon 07/02/08   25.   dont bite the hand that feeds you 20:13  |  JJ 07/02/08   26.   Does "collective punishment" mean 20:14  |  Skeptic 07/02/08   27.   Response to POP: Yes it is, when fighting Amalek 20:14  |  Yehuda Maccabbee 07/02/08   28.   The current government is unfit to lead and defend its citizens 20:15  |  Avi 07/02/08   29.   Pop, by collective punishment you must mean suicide bombings, ... 20:19  |  JJ 07/02/08   30.   Good Plan, Bad PR!!! 20:19  |  Americana 07/02/08   31.   #1 Pop - yes, it is a Jewish value 20:29  |  Jon 07/02/08   32.   PALASTINIANS HAVE THE RIGHT 20:34  |  NAJOUR 07/02/08   33.   Gaza is not our problem 20:37  |  Eyal 07/02/08   34.   Stop reductions,CUT IT ONCE AND FOR ALL 20:58  |  TOMY 07/02/08   35.   ** NAJOUR - PALESTINIANS LOST THEIR RIGHTS 21:02  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 07/02/08   36.   Arab (11) shows why they remain in dark ages 21:13  |  Ralph 07/02/08   37.   #32 Najour Relax Palis standard of living is higher than India`s 21:16  |  fiona 07/02/08   38.   Arab in Washington DC, no access to Hamas/Fatah/Manar TV? 21:22  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/02/08   39.   Eradicate the Philistines in Gaza from the face of this earth! 21:26  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/02/08   40.   Call it collective punishment or whatever,as long as it gives 21:35  |  Genuine Tosefta 07/02/08   41.   anyone answer me 21:36  |  Mark 07/02/08   42.   When the men were men and the sheep were nervous 21:41  |  Leslie-Ann 07/02/08   43.   To Arab #11 It may seem so, but not the news in Hebrew 21:42  |  Rick and TC 07/02/08   44.   WHY IS ISRAEL GIVING THEM ANYTHING? THEY HAVE ARAB BROTHERS!! 21:42  |  Najour 07/02/08   45.   Everybody loves a fiar fight 21:46  |  Natallie Durson 07/02/08   46.   To wider operation. 21:47  |  Vital 07/02/08   47.   Bibi! Yesh lo sechel! 22:15  |  Vittorio 07/02/08   48.   1% too much 22:16  |  ron 07/02/08   49.   Leave Gaza, annex Judea and Samaria 22:31  |  Bo 07/02/08   50.   arab in washington # 11 all this news has gotten you to come to 22:37  |  terrornator 07/02/08   51.   najour #32 the palestinians should be used to not having any 22:40  |  terrornator 07/02/08   52.   1% cut, yes that`s right 1%cut. Told you I would get tough.see#23 22:45  |  ehud s. barak pm 07/02/08   53.   Collective Punishment Defined: 22:54  |  Steve Dill 07/02/08   54.   Mark - Give 22% of the US to the Palestinians, then 23:02  |  v 07/02/08   55.   a pathetic little gesture to stop Israelis saying he is soft 23:03  |  zionist forever 07/02/08   56.   Natallie Durson - Israel didn` steal land, we took what belongs 23:04  |  ADF 07/02/08   57.   the circus is in town 23:12  |  zionist forever 07/02/08   58.   Hey Natallie - the fairest fight of all... 23:17  |  Joe Sittizen 07/02/08   59.   Yasher Ko`ach! 23:24  |  Tziril Esther 07/02/08   60.   to POP 23:25  |  Tziril Esther 07/02/08   61.   ADF,the Jewish Ben Laden 23:37  |  Minda 07/02/08   62.   Bo`s war 23:42  |  Minda 07/02/08   63.   5% Harsher response --By Barak and associated morons 23:46  |  Sal 07/02/08   64.   As someone on this site put it,why not supply Gaza with F16s & 23:50  |  lakshmi 07/02/08   65.   IF I WAS GAZAN, I would ignore the cut back, if I was a... 23:50  |  jewish doctor 07/02/08   66.   cut it out, cut it off until the rockets stop 23:52  |  dav zee 07/02/08   67.   10 days of zero electricity and they`ll all move to Egypt... 23:54  |  dav zee 07/02/08   68.   Minda, could you be more naive? 23:55  |  DR 07/02/08   69.   1% ? 23:56  |  Cliff 07/02/08   70.   Minda # 61 - yeah right 00:02  |  ChanahS 08/02/08   71.   Time Pals did something to reduce their Carbon Footprint 00:24  |  Alan 08/02/08   72.   Durson has becomed radicalized 00:26  |  Sam 08/02/08   73.   Cut All The Power 00:28  |  Steve 08/02/08   74.   Egypt should step up 00:31  |  Ricardo 08/02/08   75.   put a dimmer switch in sderot 00:36  |  vik 08/02/08   76.   One percent 00:39  |  MR 08/02/08   77.   Gaza 00:43  |  Bob Riddle 08/02/08   78.   aza/gaza 00:47  |  Paul 08/02/08   79.   The PALS as underdogs, NOT. 00:54  |  Doc Holliday 08/02/08   80.   Camel power 01:01  |  leo 08/02/08   81.   1% IQ 01:14  |  David 08/02/08   82.   Joshua`s conquest! 01:22  |  Paul 08/02/08   83.   Being PM 01:26  |  Paul 08/02/08   84.   Gaza 01:30  |  Paul 08/02/08   85.   collective `punishment`? nope. 21:31  |  frenz 08/02/08   86.   1% reduction 23:50  |  Detterdad 08/02/08   87.   Qaasam rockets destroy electric supply line 10:41  |  dj 09/02/08   88.   CUT the POWER to solve the problem!! 04:51  |  Cristo 10/02/08

Today Online IAF kills top Hamas man; 2 brothers hurt in Sderot Qassam strike Responses: 10 IDF: Hezbollah renews rocket deployment in southern Lebanon Responses: 8 Zvi Bar'el: Automatic retaliation doesn't constitute a strategy Send response 'Auschwitz SS men's pensions higher than survivors' stipends' Send response B. Weinthal: Germany is the logical place to start embargo of Iran Responses: 121 Hamas confiscates humanitarian aid trucks sent to Gaza Responses: 116 Rosner's Domain McCain found a tool with which to woo conservative Republicans: Israel Why many Jewish men go beardless (WTR) New poll: Is it legitimate to cut electricity to Gaza? Factor: How's McCain better than Obama Jewish Republicans? More myth than reality More Headlines 10:08 Sderot residents call on Barak to quit in wake of Qassam fire 09:19 IAF kills Hamas man; two hurt in attack on Sderot 10:09 IDF says Hezbollah Katyushas, missiles back in S. Lebanon 07:28 Jewish Agency won't give up monopoly on aliyah so easily 08:30 The Gaza Strip blockade could seriously harm Israel's economy 08:00 Months after Annapolis, Israel-PA talks remain low-keyed 08:37 Turkish lawmakers lift ban on Islamic head scarves at universities 08:31 Study: Soviet immigrants outperform Israeli high-school peers 08:15 New witness protection law could even include plastic surgery 08:33 Israeli company sells dental patent to Swiss company for $95 million 07:58 Parents of brain dead Lebanon vet slam hospital for malpractice 08:23 Hamas: West Bank residents could breach border fence, enter Israel Previous Editions Select Day 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan

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