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Prime Minister Olmert and Egyptian President Mubarak. (Archives)
Last update - 09:32 20/03/2008
Egypt agrees to take over as Gaza power supplier
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Egypt, Israel, Gaza, power

Israeli and Egyptian representatives agreed in principle Wednesday to a
deal that would have Egypt replace Israel as the Gaza Strip's sole electricity provider.

Under the deal, Egypt would set up a new power line from the Sinai Peninsula town of Arish to the nearby Gaza Strip. The 150-megawatt line would cost $35 million to set up, and would be operational within two years.
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Egypt currently provides the Gaza Strip with only 7 megawatts of power, while Israel provides 124 megawatts via 10 different lines. A local power station produces the remainder.

Security sources say the agreement will effectively free Israel from supplying Gaza with electricity, even though it does not specifically say so. Israel decided to reduce power supplies to Gaza in February to protest Qassam rocket fire on Israel by Palestinian militants.

Palestinian Energy Committee chair Omar Katana, who is in charge of the
project on the Palestinian side, is not affiliated with Hamas.

Two weeks ago, he said the Egyptian plan would be funded by the Saudi Islamic Development Bank. Tenders will be issued over the next few days.

Israeli security sources said the infrastructure minister and the Defense
Ministry have been in talks with Egypt for a long time. The deal won the
approval of Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who is interested in severing ties with Gaza.

"Ostensibly, we will lose our control of the Gaza power switch, but it also entails a huge advantage if we can transfer responsibility for electricity to Egypt," security officials said.

Meanwhile, Israel is continuing to handle transfers of goods to Gaza, in
partnership with Palestinian Authority officials loyal to Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, even though Hamas controls the coastal strip. The relevant PA ministry, for example, with offices in the West Bank city of Ramallah, still operates the Palestinian side of the Erez Crossing between Gaza and Israel.

Since Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip, some 5,000 Palestinians seeking
medical aid and their companions have entered Israel. In addition, an average of 100 trucks carrying sesame seeds, lentils, wheat and other foodstuffs enter the Strip through the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings every day. Before the second intifada broke out in 2000, more than 1,000 trucks entered Gaza via the same crossings every day.

Channel 10 Wednesday aired the first pictures of the fence erected by the
Egyptians along the border with Gaza, to replace the one that was overrun
several months ago. The new barrier has numerous sniper positions and guard posts.


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      1.   Terminology reworked 02:25  |  Axel 20/03/08
      2.   It`s about time Egypt stepped up 03:44  |  Doc Holliday 20/03/08
      3.   A standing ovation 04:10  |  Al 20/03/08
      4.   New York blackouts 05:24  |  Pablo B 20/03/08
      5.   Gazans shouldn`t be subjected to the tyrannical nature of Israel 06:31  |  Dutch 20/03/08
      6.   Two Sides of A Coin to Electricity Agreement 07:42  |  The Archives 20/03/08
      7.   Egypt and the ?Palestinians?. 08:04  |  Jean Van Daem 20/03/08
      8.   Axel - What are you getting at?? 08:30  |  dovvod 20/03/08
      9.   When shown a lemon, view it as lemonade 09:05  |  Clickfool 20/03/08
      10.   get out my life zion 09:11  |  gaza 20/03/08
      11.   #5, The Archives 09:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/03/08
      12.   About time!!! 09:23  |  Adrian de Klerk 20/03/08
      13.   Question for Adrian de Clerk # 10 10:04  |  Clickfool 20/03/08
      14.   to #10 , gazan 10:21  |  Marcelo 20/03/08
      15.   to #13 click the fool 10:28  |  Marcelo 20/03/08
      16.   Yes,gaza #10 10:36  |  Hastaroth 20/03/08
      17.   Question for the Clickprick #13 10:41  |  Hastaroth 20/03/08
      18.   #13 Clickfoo; 10:42  |  Adrian de Klerk 20/03/08
      19.   It does become more and more apparent that 10:44  |  Avnera 20/03/08
      20.   How could this be???? 11:00  |  Incredulous 20/03/08
      21.   to gaza #10:ok, be that way! Just wait to see how Egypt feels.... 11:01  |  Pavel 20/03/08
      22.   Egypt had an agreement with Gaza for full elec supply 2 years ago 11:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/03/08
      23.   Israelis should not be subject to Gaza terror 11:09  |  Mike 20/03/08
      24.   To Clickfool 11:11  |  Mike 20/03/08
      25.   #13; Clickfool you don`t get, do you? 11:39  |  Doc Holliday 20/03/08
      26.   Hmm, who was getting paid for the electricity? 12:16  |  sh 20/03/08
      27.   GOOD LET EGYPT SUPPORT THESE LOSERS. 12:21  |  petra 20/03/08
      28.   Great Precedent 12:27  |  ERSB 20/03/08
      29.   #1 Axel from Germany 12:29  |  MR 20/03/08
      30.   Responses Tinged by Anti-Semitism 12:30  |  ERSB 20/03/08
      31.   #9 Clicky....this has been in the works for a while 12:36  |  Lynn 20/03/08
      32.   Pablo B 12:46  |  MR 20/03/08
      33.   For Hastaroth # 17 12:48  |  Clickfool 20/03/08
      34.   For Adrian de Klerk, again # 18 12:51  |  Clickfool 20/03/08
      35.   Clickfool`s profit nonsense.... 12:56  |  The Judge 20/03/08
      36.   I`m sure Israel does, Doc Holliday # 25 12:57  |  Clickfool 20/03/08
      37.   Wonderful News. Israel rejoices. About time. 13:31  |  Jo 20/03/08
      38.   #1 - Axel, perhaps you should study English 13:33  |  JES 20/03/08
      39.   Axel of the Axis 13:39  |  observer 20/03/08
      40.   WRITE ON DOWOD and MR! 13:46  |  observer 20/03/08
      41.   clickfool #30 13:49  |  ka 20/03/08
      42.   To Clickfool 13:54  |  Giora 20/03/08
      43.   For the ClickPrick again #33 Part 01 14:04  |  Hastaroth 20/03/08
      44.   For the ClickPrick #33 Part 02 14:07  |  Hastaroth 20/03/08
      45.   #1 Axel...everyone has to pay someone 14:09  |  Lynn 20/03/08
      46.   Egyptians erect wall with guard towers? 14:15  |  Lynn 20/03/08
      47.   # 34 Clicky ....it is a positive step 14:23  |  Lynn 20/03/08
      48.   For ERSB # 30 14:27  |  Clickfool 20/03/08
      49.   Axel`s ego 14:32  |  Axel Admirer 20/03/08
      50.   #36; Clickfool regarding peace 14:35  |  Doc Holliday 20/03/08
      51.   Clickfool 14:55  |  Byron 20/03/08
      52.   Electricity for Gaza 15:24  |  Mordo 20/03/08
      53.   ANTISEMEITES - WHY DOSENT EGYPT OPEN HER BORDERS FOR ALL PALS?? 15:37  |  Chris 20/03/08
      54.   Stupidity: When the excuse becomes the goal 15:39  |  Tosefta 20/03/08
      55.   Little by little the evil state is being driven back!Next step 15:56  |  lakshmi 20/03/08
      56.   Mordo 16:04  |  Byron 20/03/08
      57.   Gaza Power 16:10  |  Randy 20/03/08
      58.   # 45 lynn 16:31  |  Axel 20/03/08
      59.   So, Who`s Going To Pay For The Juice? 16:35  |  Jeff Northridge 20/03/08
      60.   # 29 MR 16:36  |  Axel 20/03/08
      61.   Sgt. Jeff Northridge #59 16:53  |  Tosefta 20/03/08
      62.   Axel - Electricity is not free 17:23  |  Avrum 20/03/08
      63.   #62 ASvrum 17:35  |  jehiel chaleff 20/03/08
      64.   Tosefta # 61 Pretty Flakey 18:07  |  Jeff Northridge 20/03/08
      65.   For # 61 Tosefta on the cost of electricity supply to Gaza 18:21  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 20/03/08
      66.   clikfool I am a Zionist, and a Proud one! you are a hater .... 19:15  |  Robert/montreal 20/03/08
      67.   Hey Clikfool not one person here is pro your views! 19:23  |  Robert/Montreal 20/03/08
      68.   Lakshmi, the best thing for gaza a new beginning with Egypt 19:32  |  Robert/Montreal 20/03/08
      69.   #64 Shhhhhhhh Jeff don`t tell em! 19:54  |  Robert/Montreal 20/03/08
      70.   archives, mordo, Jeff, tosefta 19:55  |  tadchase 20/03/08
      71.   Clickfool 20:02  |  tadchase