Snoshi
08-20-2007, 09:42 AM
The European Union said Monday it would resume the financing of fuel deliveries to Gaza only when it gets assurances that Hamas will not tax electricity bills.
Power was cut in parts of the Gaza Strip on Sunday after the EU halted funding for fuel deliveries to the impoverished territory's sole power plant.
"We've been given to understand that Hamas plans to introduce taxes on electricity bills in the Gaza Strip. ... this would not allow us to continue paying for fuel," said EU spokeswoman Antonia Mochan.
"We're ready to resume payments within hours once we have assurances that these taxes will not be introduced," Mochan said.
She added the EU executive pays for 25-30 percent of the overall electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, worth $8.75 million a month.
The shutdown was another blow to the long-suffering residents of the Gaza Strip, where the Islamic group Hamas has been governing, largely under international isolation, since June.
The power plant already cut electricity to large swaths of Gaza last week after Israel closed a fuel crossing into the coastal territory, citing security concerns. Israel reopened the passage Sunday, but the plant's Israeli fuel supplier said the European Union had instructed it not to deliver new supplies because it would not guarantee payment.
The EU said it had decided on Thursday that it would suspend the payments for security reasons, particularly due to tensions at the crossing points into Gaza.
The government of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, formed in the West Bank after Hamas took over Gaza, charged the Islamic group with responsibility for the power shortage.
"The EU ceased payment because Hamas took over the electric company and started collecting the revenues and taking them to its pocket," Palestinian Information Minister Riad Maliki told reporters at a press conference Sunday.
In turn, Hamas lawmaker Yehia Musa accused Abbas of a dirty conspiracy to persuade international donors to cut off electricity to Gaza in an attempt to discredit Hamas.
European officials were caught off guard by the power shortage, mistakenly believing the plant had enough fuel for another two days, an EU official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity according to EU regulations
Gazans initially were unfazed by the outages, because power reserves are always so thin that consumers are used to living without electricity for about five hours a day. But as the shortages dragged on for a third straight day, nerves began to wear thin.
The din of private generators outside every shop on Gaza City's main commercial street filled the air as Naim Hamdan, a civil engineer, recounted how he sent home his 25 employees to conserve fuel. Grocery store owner Fawaz Khalil said NIS 3,000 worth of cheese and milk spoiled because his generator wasn't powerful enough to keep his refrigerator cold.
"People have started coming to ask for candles and flashlights," Khalil said. I hope that selling candles and batteries and flashlights will help me make up for the loss of the cheese and milk."
Since Hamas came to power in Gaza two months ago, Israel and Egypt have sealed the border crossings into Gaza except for vital humanitarian aid. The international community has largely isolated Hamas while embracing Abbas' West Bank government, hoping to prevent further gains by Islamic militants.
The closure led the UN to warn last week that Gaza will soon become entirely dependent on foreign aid and face disastrous consequences if the territory remains sealed off.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/895426.html
Power was cut in parts of the Gaza Strip on Sunday after the EU halted funding for fuel deliveries to the impoverished territory's sole power plant.
"We've been given to understand that Hamas plans to introduce taxes on electricity bills in the Gaza Strip. ... this would not allow us to continue paying for fuel," said EU spokeswoman Antonia Mochan.
"We're ready to resume payments within hours once we have assurances that these taxes will not be introduced," Mochan said.
She added the EU executive pays for 25-30 percent of the overall electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, worth $8.75 million a month.
The shutdown was another blow to the long-suffering residents of the Gaza Strip, where the Islamic group Hamas has been governing, largely under international isolation, since June.
The power plant already cut electricity to large swaths of Gaza last week after Israel closed a fuel crossing into the coastal territory, citing security concerns. Israel reopened the passage Sunday, but the plant's Israeli fuel supplier said the European Union had instructed it not to deliver new supplies because it would not guarantee payment.
The EU said it had decided on Thursday that it would suspend the payments for security reasons, particularly due to tensions at the crossing points into Gaza.
The government of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, formed in the West Bank after Hamas took over Gaza, charged the Islamic group with responsibility for the power shortage.
"The EU ceased payment because Hamas took over the electric company and started collecting the revenues and taking them to its pocket," Palestinian Information Minister Riad Maliki told reporters at a press conference Sunday.
In turn, Hamas lawmaker Yehia Musa accused Abbas of a dirty conspiracy to persuade international donors to cut off electricity to Gaza in an attempt to discredit Hamas.
European officials were caught off guard by the power shortage, mistakenly believing the plant had enough fuel for another two days, an EU official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity according to EU regulations
Gazans initially were unfazed by the outages, because power reserves are always so thin that consumers are used to living without electricity for about five hours a day. But as the shortages dragged on for a third straight day, nerves began to wear thin.
The din of private generators outside every shop on Gaza City's main commercial street filled the air as Naim Hamdan, a civil engineer, recounted how he sent home his 25 employees to conserve fuel. Grocery store owner Fawaz Khalil said NIS 3,000 worth of cheese and milk spoiled because his generator wasn't powerful enough to keep his refrigerator cold.
"People have started coming to ask for candles and flashlights," Khalil said. I hope that selling candles and batteries and flashlights will help me make up for the loss of the cheese and milk."
Since Hamas came to power in Gaza two months ago, Israel and Egypt have sealed the border crossings into Gaza except for vital humanitarian aid. The international community has largely isolated Hamas while embracing Abbas' West Bank government, hoping to prevent further gains by Islamic militants.
The closure led the UN to warn last week that Gaza will soon become entirely dependent on foreign aid and face disastrous consequences if the territory remains sealed off.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/895426.html