A Palestinian company supplying electricity to the central Gaza Strip announced Friday that it would cut off power later in the day since Israel had closed a crossing through which fuel is brought into the Palestinian area. "For two days we have not received fuel," the chairman of the Gaza Generating Company, Rafik Malikha, told a press conference in Gaza City. "The Israeli side is preventing vehicles from approaching the crossing."
The Israeli army spokesman said the crossing had been closed since Wednesday for security reasons he could not detail. The Gaza Generating Company supplies the Gaza Strip with about 25 percent of its electricity. The rest of the supply comes from Israel's Electric Company and Egypt. Israel has since Wednesday forbidden the company's supply trucks from approaching the Nahal Oz Crossing, Malikha said. The company's fuel reserves, which are only enough to produce power for two days, have run out, he said.
The company will shut off three of its four generators, Malikha said. It was not immediately clear how many of the Gaza Strip's 1.4 million people would be affected. The company supplies power to Gaza City and other central areas of the coastal territory. Almost all supplies for the Gaza Strip, including food, fuel and raw materials, come from Israel and through crossings controlled by Israel. The passages are frequently closed by Israel, which cites attempts by Palestinian terrorists to attack them.
Israel closed all of the crossings after the Islamic Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in June, partially opening them a few days later. The United Nations has warned of a growth in poverty since Hamas's wrested control of Gaza, with unemployment on the rise and humanitarian aide in high demand. |