Israel Cuts Fuel Shipments To Gaza

Cairo, Egypt (AHN) - The Israeli government has reduced shipments of fuel to the Gaza Strip after the Jewish state threatened to do so following continued rocket attacks. Israel had promised to cut fuel to Gaza recently if another rocket fell on their soil.

Gaza is already reeling from months of being shut off from the outside world in an attempt to bring the Hamas-led government to its knees.

The Palestinian Authority's Petrol Agency said that diesel deliveries to Gaza's only power plant was 12 percent lower than normal and gasoline levels were only half their regular levels, which could put Gaza in further crisis.

The Defense Ministry ordered the shipments cut down, less than a week after threatening to do so.

"It's clear that we have to cut off the supply of electricity and the supply of fuel," Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilna'i told Israeli army radio. "We will dramatically reduce the flow of electricity from Israel over several weeks."

"Because this is an entity that is hostile to us there is no reason for us to supply them with electricity beyond the minimum required to prevent a crisis," Vilna'i added.

AHN's Manar Ammar contributed to this report in Cairo.