by Daniel Siryoti, Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
Senior Israeli official says cut is also because Hamas uses funds meant to pay for electricity to dig terror tunnels • Palestinian Authority says it will stop paying for Gaza's power • Hamas warns of "catastrophic" consequences.
Daniel Siryoti, Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
The power plant in the Gaza Strip
|
Photo credit: Reuters  |
A senior Israeli military official said
Thursday that Israel plans to reduce the electricity supply to the Gaza
Strip because of "internal problems" between Gaza's Hamas rulers and
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and also because Hamas diverts
funds meant to pay for power to terrorist activities.
Coordinator of Government Activities in the
Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai did not say when the move would
come into effect or for how long.
Israel supplies only 30% of Gaza's power
needs, or some 125 megawatts. The monthly power bill amounts to 40
million shekels ($11 million), 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.
Earlier this month, Abbas announced that Ramallah will stop paying for electricity in Gaza. Hamas strongly condemned the move, warning of "consequences that will be catastrophic and disastrous, not only for Hamas, as they [the PA] think, but for all Gazans."
In an interview with BBC Arabic, Mordechai
said: "Israel is currently the only one supplying the Gaza Strip with
electricity. Unfortunately, Hamas takes about 100 million shekels [$28
million] from the taxes paid by impoverished Gazans every month, but
that money doesn't reach the Palestinian Authority. The reason for this
is that Hamas prefers to use that money for its tunnels. Israel is the
only one supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip. This means Gaza is
entirely dependent on Israel's electricity sector."
Daniel Siryoti, Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=42683
Follow Middle East and Terrorism on Twitter
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment