Oct 27, 2007 17:26 | Updated Oct 28, 2007 15:53
Israeli energy company: Fuel cuts to Gaza implemented
By JPOST STAFF AND AP
Dor Alon, the Israeli energy company that sells fuel to Gaza, confirmed Sunday that it had received instructions from the Defense Ministry to reduce shipments. The confirmation followed a report by head of the Palestinian Fuel Agency, Mujahad Sa'alama, who said that on Saturday, a reduction of 40-50 percent was recorded in the supply of diesel fuel and that there was a decrease of 12% in fuel for the Gaza power station.
Nevertheless, Lt. Shadi Yassin, spokesman for Israel's Coordination and Liaison Administration, denied that the planned power cuts had been implemented. "Defense Minister Ehud Barak has not given any order and therefore, there have been no cuts in supplies," he said in a statement.
The reported fuel reduction move drew harsh condemnation from Palestinians in Gaza, which relies on Israel for almost all its fuel and gasoline and more than half of its electricity.
"This is a serious warning to the people of the Gaza Strip. Their lives are now in danger," said Ahmed Ali, deputy director of Gaza's Petroleum Authority, which distributes Israeli fuel shipments to private Palestinian companies. "The hospitals, water pumping station and sewage will now be affected by the lack of fuel."
Ali said daily fuel shipments on Sunday were more than 30 percent below normal. He said Israel delivered 200,000 liters of diesel fuel, compared to 350,000 liters on a normal day, and 90,000 liters of gasoline, instead of the regular supply of 150,000 liters.
He said it would take several days for the fuel crunch to be felt, since Gaza keeps about four days of fuel in reserve. But truck drivers at Gaza's main fuel depot complained that they were unable to fill their tankers, and some drivers said they were turned away altogether.
The report came a day after Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i told Israel Radio that Israel would begin to make the cuts to Gaza's fuel and electricity supplies as early as Sunday or Monday, after the court system gives the government its final authorization.
The plan, approved by Barak Thursday, is to cut electricity for an initial 15 minutes after a rocket attack, gradually increasing the length of outages if the attacks continue.
MK Ami Ayalon (Labor) said that the plan must be implemented carefully in order to avoid a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He told Israel Radio Sunday that the power cuts will only be useful if there is an ongoing peace process.
In Tel Aviv, several Meretz and Peace Now activists demonstrated outside the Defense Ministry, calling on Barak not to carry out the power cuts.
On Friday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that he would not cause a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, despite his government's declared intention to carry out the power cuts in an attempt to curb Palestinian rocket attacks into southern Israel.
Despite the clear indication that the planned power cuts was retaliation for Kassam attacks, Vilna'i insisted Saturday that the decision was another stage in disengaging from Gaza and was not a part of any "punishment policy."
He said the sanctions are meant to wean Gaza's dependence on Israel and conceded that they were unlikely to halt rocket fire.
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