Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., April 13, 2008 Nisan 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 12:51 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

The power plant in Gaza. (AP) Last update - 01:11 13/04/2008 IDF checkpoint coordinator blames Palestinians for Gaza fuel crisis By Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies Tags: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, blockade The head of the Israel Defense Forces' Coordination and Liaison Administration at the Erez checkpoint on the Israel-Gaza border said over the weekend that Israel consistently streams fuel to the Gaza Strip while Palestinian actions have caused an initiated fuel crisis. Colonel Nir Peres said that Gaza's closed fuel depots and excruciating lines at gas stations were the direct result a carefully planned and publicized Hamas campaign to create a fuel crisis, which stems from the group's refusal to transfer available fuel from the Israeli Nahal Oz fueling terminal into the Strip. According to Peres, as of this weekend, the fuel containers on the Palestinian side of the fueling terminal contained some 190,000 liters of gasoline and over 800,000 liters of diesel fuel. Advertisement On Saturday, the director of Gaza's only power plant said he would have to shut it down in two to three days unless Israel resumed fuel shipments. Israel halted supplies after Gaza militants attacked the Nahal Oz fuel depot on the Gaza-Israel border last week and killed two Israeli workers. Israeli defense officials indicated, however, that the cutoff would not last past the weekend. The power plant's fuel reserves have been low in recent months, after Israel restricted fuel supplies in hopes of forcing militants to halt rocket attacks from Gaza. Power plant director Rafiq Maliha said Saturday he only has two to three days worth of fuel left to run the plant. The plant shut down once before, after Israeli halted fuel shipments for several days following a barrage of rocket attacks from Gaza. On Thursday, Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials said Hamas seizes half the fuel Israel sends to the Gaza Strip and uses it in part for its military wing's vehicles. Hussein al-Sheikh, a PA official, confirmed to Haaretz that Hamas seizes half the amount of fuel transferred by Israel to the Strip. The amount confiscated is approximately 400,000 of the 800,000 liters of diesel transferred to Gaza weekly and intended for uses such as generators, hospitals, water pumps and sewage pumps. In contrast, Hamas uses this fuel for militant purposes. Israeli sources said Hamas was preventing the pumping of all the fuel from the Nahal Oz depot's reserves and funneling it to the Strip's gas stations. In the past week, only a small amount of fuel and diesel was pumped from the depot, leaving some 820,000 liters of diesel and 200,000 of gas in the depots, they said. "Hamas is trying to create a false fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip," a senior government source said. "The simulated strike by Gaza's gas-station owners is also organized by Hamas. They want to create long lines for gas and a feeling that Israel is tightening the siege on Gaza, although this is not the case," he said. Israel has discussed the situation with European Union officials in charge of financing Gaza's fuel. Israeli sources said they were concerned that in addition to fuel, Hamas would try to create the impression of a food shortage, although food supplies were sufficient. Also Thursday, a hair-dressing salon in the center of Gaza City was blown up before dawn, apparently by religious zealots. Related articles: Israel agrees to lift aid ban on Gaza Strip for one day Policy at Gaza crossings won't change following terror attack Olmert: We won't allow Gaza to slide into a humanitarian crisis Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel blockade Bookmark to del.icio.us   'No good Jewish men' Author David Seidman delves into the dark side of dating, and confesses: 'I am a bad Jew.' Remembrance trail Holocaust memorial steam-drawn train sparks bitter row in Berlin.   1.   HAMAS STRATEGY 14:49  |  Brant 12/04/08   2.   Pallywood in full swing, again. Phony Story!!! 14:56  |  Doc Holliday 12/04/08   3.   Let them go dry! 14:57  |  Obama 12/04/08   4.   Egypt and the Arab refugees. 14:57  |  Jean Van Daem 12/04/08   5.   Why not Egypt? 15:36  |  Sara 12/04/08   6.   in other words: former cut was a big lie 15:37  |  S. 12/04/08   7.   Look in the mirror.... 15:57  |  thru-other-eyes 12/04/08   8.   If they take half send them half...and they will seize quarter or 16:19  |  r 12/04/08   9.   to # 5: You tell - we do! How wise you are, darling! How simple!! 16:25  |  People of the World 12/04/08   10.   And whats worse Brad is that there are many 16:28  |  Avi 12/04/08   11.   Out of respect to the dead, wait until after the shiva is over 16:29  |  Murray of Montreal 12/04/08   12.   #5 16:43  |  Yasir 12/04/08   13.   Good --- they have to learn to control their fanatics 16:47  |  augustine e johnson 12/04/08   14.   To Holland:There is one side determined to be trouble 16:57  |  Avi 12/04/08   15.   Plenty of Free fuel 16:58  |  Ilan 12/04/08   16.   To Yasir, #7... that`s up to them... 17:07  |  thru-other-eyes 12/04/08   17.   I hate it when all the numbers switch and... 17:11  |  thru-other-eyes 12/04/08   18.   There are no authentic `Palestinian` people 17:13  |  Jeremy 12/04/08   19.   you can fool some of the p.. fuel all of the time 17:21  |  v hardman 12/04/08   20.   Iran can provide different energies to Gaza: fuel, nuclear etc 17:59  |  Aounist 12/04/08   21.   Keep it shut until safety of Israeli employees is 100% assured! 18:02  |  Dr. L. Brnd 12/04/08   22.   Solutions for the lack of fuel in Gaza 18:04  |  Moti 12/04/08   23.   some traits of a psychopath 18:10  |  American Christian 12/04/08   24.   Do not stop pressure on Hamas. 18:16  |  Vital 12/04/08   25.   Most of the Pals we see on BBC 18:22  |  MaryRose 12/04/08   26.   Its trage -comedy -"-Fuel" My Desires to Destroy You 18:49  |  Sal 12/04/08   27.   why provide fuel for hamas?? 19:08  |  vik 12/04/08   28.   Stop fueling around! 19:44  |  Morris Valentine 12/04/08   29.   Palestinin crimes made this folk shamed for eternity 20:02  |  Johnny 12/04/08   30.   #10 - Todays palestinians are a lost folk, hate is cemented 20:05  |  Johnny 12/04/08   31.   lets see now e.europens jews invade steal kill 20:13  |  i got now 12/04/08   32.   and canada`s globe and mail reports fuel shortage as fact 20:39  |  don 12/04/08   33.   vik the zio-state does not `provide` for anyone but itself 20:59  |  pay attention 12/04/08   34.   "i got now": FIRST, LEARN GRAMMAR AND WRITE CORRECTLY Then teach 21:06  |  BKM 12/04/08   35.   Enough already. 21:32  |  Tired Joe 12/04/08   36.   waste of time 21:41  |  Sens 12/04/08   37.   IT`S A SHAME 21:56  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 12/04/08   38.   most Gaza electricty comes from Israel not the Gaza power station 22:05  |  zionist forever 12/04/08   39.   Demand compensation and an apology 22:05  |  arun 12/04/08   40.   BKM? you got it 22:10  |  i got it 12/04/08   41.   idf checkpoint 00:45  |  moses 13/04/08   42.   idf checkpoint 00:50  |  moses 13/04/08   43.   Again. Israel should decrease fuel supply into Gaza 01:08  |  Pervert 13/04/08   44.   to #34 BKM 01:30  |  MR 13/04/08   45.   GAS Supplies to Gaza 01:55  |  Maerton 13/04/08   46.   Gaza should be free to purchase its fuel 03:56  |  Kiwi girl 13/04/08   47.   Israel Wash Your Hands of the Evil Stepchild 05:07  |  PK 13/04/08   48.   Israel Cut Loose the Evil Stepchild 05:14  |  PK 13/04/08   49.   Gas Can Be Used For Bombs 05:25  |  PK 13/04/08   50.   TO HOLLAND 08:39  |  Rachel 13/04/08   51.   To: Gaza resident = Emigrated Arabs 08:43  |  Human & Animal Right 13/04/08   52.   There is a very simple answer to this 08:51  |  Adrian de Klerk 13/04/08

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