“Gaza Blackout Is A Hamas Deception”
J-Post:
Israeli officials claimed Monday that the Gaza blackout was deliberately instigated by Hamas, in a bid to present the appearance of a humanitarian crisis.
According to the IDF, Israeli was still providing 75 percent of Gaza electricity, while Egypt provided an additional 5%. Israel said that it was not interested in a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and would “act quickly” to prevent it.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday night appealed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Mideast Quartet and the Arab League to exert pressure on Israel to remove the blockade from the Gaza Strip and resume fuel supplies.
The appeal came after Gaza City was plunged into darkness as Hamas officials shut down the territory’s only power plant. Hamas said the move was made after Israel blocked a shipment of fuel that powers the plant. The group also claimed that six patients died in Gaza hospitals because of the electricity cutoff. The claim could not be confirmed.
Israel sealed all crossings into Gaza last week because of a spike in rocket barrages, cutting off fuel, food and medicine. Several weeks ago Israel reduced the fuel supply as a pressure tactic.
In a letter to the UN, the PA president said that fuel supplies must be restored to the Strip to enable hospitals to function and to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
Abbas also called on the Arab League to urgently convene a meeting on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement released by his office, the PA president urged the Palestinian people to maintain patience, tolerance and unity. “We will continue to act to resolve the crisis, to end the occupation and to establish a Palestinian state,” he vowed.
Abbas also appealed directly to Israel to lift the blockade, said the PA president’s spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh.
Earlier, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal urged the PA president and Arab leaders 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. He also said he asked Egypt if it would provide fuel to Gaza plant. Egyptian officials were not immediately available for comment.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
“We are not asking you to wage a military war against Israel”, what do you call lobbing missiles into Israel? A tea party?
Stop the crime of rocket attacks, get some fuel. Simple.
Why don’t some of those Arab leaders take up their role and responsibility and allow some Palestinian immigration into their countries?
January 21st, 2008 at 5:49 amGaza should have been turned into an Israeli a deep water port with a glass bottom, yesterday!
January 21st, 2008 at 6:32 amIf the Arab countries around the region actually cared about the Palestinian people like they claim they do they would have given them refuge in their countries a long time ago. Or they would at least step in and tell them to act right, and stop funding the jihadis that keep this perpetual shit storm moving. I have never heard of a country or a group of people who have been given more chances than the Palestinians. Israel just keeps tolerating them for whatever reason. They cant seem to understand what an opportunity is
I have trouble feeling sorry for them
January 21st, 2008 at 7:43 amThe Palestinian people never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
January 21st, 2008 at 3:30 pm