Israel Matzav

The night the lights went out in Gaza

The lights - and the air conditioning in 100-degree heat - went out in Gaza on Saturday. But this time, you're not likely to read about it in all the international mainstream media like you did two and a half years ago. That's because this time it's all the 'Palestinians' fault.

An electrical power station in the Gaza Strip stopped operating due to lack of fuel, Israel Radio reported Saturday.

A financial dispute between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority caused the lack of fuel supply, the station's manager said.

The PA is unable to purchase fuel since Hamas is not transferring funds from the taxes it takes from electricity users.

The station supplies one third of the electricity used in Gaza.

Israel Radio reported that every several months the dispute repeats itself since the PA delays the transfer of funds to Hamas in order to pressure the terror organization to transfer money from taxes collected, which the PA then buys fuel with.

It was in the mid-and-upper-90's every day last week, peaking at 98.6 (37 Celsius) in Jerusalem on Saturday. On Sunday, it 'cooled' to the low 90's. Gaza is generally a few degrees warmer and more humid.

Arutz Sheva adds:

Islamist Hamas officials in Gaza say Fatah has ordered fuel from Israel for only two days. "Instead of paying for a large quantity of fuel," an unnamed Hamas man told Reuters, "[Salam] Fayyad's government has paid only for up to two days' supply, forcing facility officials to ration the distribution of power."

On the other hand, Fatah official Omar Kettana said the problem is that Gaza's local power company simply does not collect payment from Gazan consumers. "We fund 80% of the payment for Gaza's electricity generating fuel needs," he said, "but it is up to the Gaza electric company to be more effective in collecting payments. The only solution is for them to pay the 20%."

"I ask Hamas leaders the following,” a Fatah spokesman said the last time this problem came up: “There are between 70,000 to 80,000 employees whose salaries are paid for by the PA; 20,000 take their salaries from UNRWA, while Hamas pays the salaries of 50,000 employees. Are these people unemployed? Why don't they pay their electricity bills?”

Israel supplies 2/3 of Gaza's power needs, and most of the remaining third is generated locally, with Fatah paying Israel for the fuel required to run Gaza's generators. Egypt supplies a small amount of electricity as well.

Officials said the power outage – coming in the midst of a heat wave – could last days.

"This is not about money," a Hamas official said. "It is politically motivated, and Salam Fayyad bears full responsibility for an act of collective punishment on the people of Gaza."

May they both be sweaty and uncomfortable.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:27 PM