by Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
While struggle between Palestinian Authority and Hamas continues to escalate, Gaza Strip's residents pay the price, with power on for only four hours at a time • Israeli energy minister: We should not be drawn into internal Palestinian problems.
The power plant in the Gaza Strip
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Photo credit: AFP  |
When the Gaza Strip's 2 million residents
break their dawn-to-dusk fast during the holy month of Ramadan, much of
the territory is engulfed by darkness and homes have to rely on
generators or batteries for the post-sundown family meals.
Rolling power cuts, a mainstay of life in a decade of Hamas rule in the blockaded Gaza Strip, have never been worse.
Power is only on for four hours at a time,
followed by 14 to 18 hours of outage -- and the blackouts could grow
even longer amid an escalating struggle between the Islamic terrorist
group Hamas and its West Bank-based rival, the Palestinian Authority of
internationally backed President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas, whose government pays Israel for the
electricity, has stepped up financial pressure on Hamas in recent weeks
by threatening to reduce its funding in hopes of forcing his rivals to
cede ground.
But in a new twist, Israeli Energy Minister
Yuval Steinitz said he would block any additional electricity cuts until
further review. Steinitz argued that Israel, which supplies only 30% of
Gaza's power needs, should not be drawn into an internal Palestinian
problem, a decision that also effectively shields Hamas, Israel's enemy,
against Abbas.
Gaza has not had full-time electricity in more
than a decade, largely because of Hamas' international isolation.
Israel and Egypt, which border the coastal strip, imposed a blockade on
the territory after Hamas took over in 2007. Since 2008, Israel and
Hamas have fought three cross-border wars.
Gaza's power crisis has worsened since April,
in part because of Abbas' new strategy. After years of failed
reconciliation efforts, he began cutting back Gaza support payments to
pressure Hamas. The group says it will not yield.
Gaza's sole power plant stopped working in
April, after it ran out of fuel that had partially been paid for by
Qatar and Turkey, one-time regional backers whose support appears to
have cooled off.
Hamas could not afford to buy new fuel, leaving Gaza with 10 power lines from Israel as the main source of electricity.
The Israeli electricity is funded by the Abbas
government at a cost of about $11 million a month, which Israel deducts
from the taxes it routinely collects on behalf of the Palestinian
Authority. Israeli authorities deal with the PA on electrical and fuel
supplies for Gaza because Israel does not engage with Hamas.
In May, the Palestinian Authority informed
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav
Mordechai that it would only cover up to $7 million of the monthly
electricity bill. In response, Mordechai said last week that electricity
in Gaza would have to be scaled back further.
This elicited a sharp response from Steinitz.
In a letter to Mordechai, the energy minister wrote that "we should be
the ones to decide where to cut electricity," sarcastically suggesting
Abbas' headquarters in Ramallah as a starting point. Israel should "not
become a pawn in their [the Palestinians] hands."
The Energy Ministry said Steinitz will seek a broader review of the issue.
Israel may be concerned that the international
community could blame it for further deterioration of conditions in
Gaza. There are also fears that more instability in Gaza could lead to
renewed rocket fire by militants.
In a veiled warning that Gaza-Israel tensions
may flare up again, Hamas official Salah Bardawil said Tuesday that in
the event of further power cuts, "no one can ensure the [current]
relative stability" of the region.
Last week, United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said Israel, Hamas and the Abbas government "all have obligations for the welfare of Gaza's residents." He warned of a "humanitarian crisis" if power is cut further.
Last week, United Nations Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said Israel, Hamas and the Abbas government "all have obligations for the welfare of Gaza's residents." He warned of a "humanitarian crisis" if power is cut further.
Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=42789
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