By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – A shortage of fuel has led to blackouts across the Gaza Strip after Palestinian Enclave’s only power plant halted production. The plant supplies one third of Electricity to the Gaza Strip. The plant’s operators claimed that they no longer have enough fuel to keep the plant producing electricity for residents of the Gaza Strip after tunnels connecting Gaza and Egypt were shut down.

Gaza residents have suffered around eight hours of daily blackouts in recent years as a result of fuel shortages. The Gaza Energy Authority said the plant’s closure could mean Palestinians in Gaza will suffer 12 hours of daily blackouts.

Energy Authority deputy chairman, Fathi el-Sheikh Khalil Said “we have completely stopped the operation of [the] power plant this morning at 6:00 a.m. because we don’t have a single liter of fuel.” He said that the plant was shut down because of the fuel shortage and that the “all parts of life in Gaza will be affected.”

Electricity had been cut off across most of the territory on Friday morning. Khalil blamed the power outage on Israel’s destruction of tunnels used for bringing fuel and other supplies into to Gaza. He also argued that the Western-backed government of the Palestinian Authority has been charging Hamas unreasonable prices for fuel. He said “less than 50 percent of the needs of the Gaza Strip are currently covered by electricity from Israel” he said Gaza “can no longer get Egyptian fuel due to the destruction of tunnels from Egypt.”

While many residents of the Gaza Strip depend on the state of Israel for electricity services Khalil said; “less than 50 percent of the needs of the Gaza Strip are currently covered by electricity from Israel [and] we can no longer get Egyptian fuel due to the destruction of tunnels from Egypt. We tried to get fuel from Israel via the Palestinian Authority, but it has imposed prohibitive taxes.”

The Palestinian Authority to deliver fuel to Gaza without the usual taxes last week in order to help address the electricity crisis. It would have allowed the Hamas government to purchase 400,000 liters of fuel a day. However the Palestinian Authority backed away from its offer.

 According to Khalil; “the plant will remain shut until fuel supplies resume from Egypt through the tunnels or the Rafah border crossing, or from Israel if the Palestinian Authority agrees not to impose the heavy taxes.”

While in the past Gaza has depended on Egypt for fuel, relations between Gaza and the Egyptian state have deteriorated significantly since President Morsi was removed from power in Egypt in July. The military regime in Cairo has begun to destroy tunnels connecting Egypt’s Sinai region to the Gaza Strip. The military regime has cited security concerns related to its counterterrorism efforts in the Sinai Peninsula as a justification for the destruction of the tunnels. Government Officials in Gaza claim that at least 80 percent of the tunnels have been destroyed since the military regime in Egypt took power in July.

For more information please see:

Agence France-Presse – Power Outage across Gaza as Fuel Runs Out: Hamas – 1 November 2013

Al Jazeera – Gaza Power Plant Shuts Down as Fuel Runs Out – 1 November 2013

The Jerusalem Post – Gaza’s Sole Power Plant Shuts Down Due to Fuel Shortage – 1 November 2013

The Jerusalem Post – Power Stops in Gaza Strip as Fuel Runs Out – 1 November 2013

Times of Israel – Power Outage in Gaza as Sole Plant Halts Electricity Production – 1 November 2013