International   

Israel cuts power supply to Gaza

TESTING TIMES: Amani (9) studies by kerosene light at her home in Gaza City on Sunday. - PHOTO: AFP

Jerusalem: Israel started cutting the amount of electricity it supplies to Gaza on Saturday as part of a new economic campaign targeting Hamas that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups.

Power on one of 10 lines into the Palestinian territory was cut to hit back at militants firing rockets into Israel. Although the reduction amounts to less than 1 per cent of the 124 megawatts that Israel sells to Gaza, further cuts are due in the weeks ahead as Israel seeks to “disengage” from Gaza.

There was little immediate sign it would halt the escalating conflict. Militants on Saturday fired at least 20 makeshift rockets into Israel, damaging a factory.

The decision to cut electricity has been backed by Israel’s High Court, which this month turned down a challenge by Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups. Human Rights Watch said: “The cuts are seriously affecting civilians who have nothing to do with these armed groups and that violates a fundamental principle of the laws of war.” A U.S. State Department spokesman, Tom Casey, said: “We understand Israel’s right to defend itself, but we do not think that actions should be taken that would infringe upon or worsen the humanitarian situation for the civilian population in Gaza.”

Last month, Israel halted fuel supplies into Gaza for several days and the Strip’s sole power plant shut down, leaving most of Gaza City, home to about 500,000 Palestinians, in darkness. It also badly affected sewage and water treatment plants.

Israeli officials have defended their actions. Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said Hamas was “pushing us to take over the Strip” but that he preferred using “economic measures”.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the policy complied with international law. “It’s not that we think there is a magical solution but we believe that a combination of military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Hamas is a strategy that in the medium and longer term will bring about a change in policy and protect our people,” he said. “This is a hostile regime and a hostile entity. They have declared war on us and we are defending ourselves.”

Gaza buys most electricity directly from Israel, about 124 megawatts supplied on 10 high-power lines. Seventeen megawatts come from Egypt and the Strip’s one power plant supplies 45-65 megawatts.

The plant was built to produce 140 megawatts but has never achieved that level, and has not come close since Israeli jets bombed the plant’s six transformers in mid 2006. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

God help Pakistan, says Wali Khan
Israel cuts power supply to Gaza
Junta move a ruse: Suu Kyi party
Sharia row turns nasty
Naval officer averts catastrophe
Politics, archaeology collide in Jerusalem excavation
Flying high
Beer spills on London street after hijack bid
Plan for closer regional economic ties
Dhaka hopes ban will not affect promised rice supply
Indian-American shot dead

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu