Israel Claims 'Crisis is Artificial'; Fuel Blockade To Continue

April 13, 2008 2:01 p.m. EST

Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - Israeli authorities indicated on Sunday that the fuel supply to the Gaza strip will be blocked as the reports indicated that region's only power station may have to shut down due to supplies disruption.

The Israeli officials also added that the Hamas is faking the fuel shortages causing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip.

"There is no crisis in Gaza. The crisis is artificial. This is a Hamas lie intended to pressure the international community," Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit was quoted saying by The Jerusalem Post news report.

Until last week, Israel has sent 2,200,000 liters of diesel fuel through the Nahal Oz fuel terminal to the Gaza Strip power plant weekly, while cooking gas was supplied in unlimited quantities, according to the Post.

The authorities added that the fuel supply will not resume till the Israeli officials have completed investigating last week's attack on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, which left two workers dead, by Palestinian militants.

"The terminal will remain closed for a few days to give us time to check and decide on measures to ensure security," Tzahi Hanegbi, the head of parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee, told Israeli military radio, according to Al Jazeera.

However, the Gaza's power plant director Rafik Maliha warned yesterday that around half a million people would be left without electricity as the installation is running out of fuel due to shipment blockade.

"We receive fuel usually on a daily basis, but since last week we have received very little fuel," Rafiq Maliha, director of the Gaza power station company, told Al Jazeera.

"If the fuel supply is not resumed as usual we have to shut down the power plant in a couple of days.

"The Gaza power plant serves at least half a million people living in the Gaza Strip, it also serves all the main infrastructure including the water supply, hospitals, treatment plant, everything, so this is almost stopping life."