Gaza City plunged into darkness

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The only power plant in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip has shut down because of a lack of fuel, Palestinian officials say, blaming Israeli restrictions.

Gaza City was plunged into darkness after the plant's turbines stopped.

Israel's closure of border crossings amid continued rocket fire from Gaza has brought the delivery of almost all supplies, including fuel, to a halt.

But Israel, which provides 60% of Gaza's power, says the territory still has sufficient fuel stocks.

The UN believes Gaza's 1.5m inhabitants face serious hardship and one of its officials said unheated hospitals were having to rely on generators for operations.

Mahmoud Abbas, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority president who lost control of Gaza to Hamas last year, called on Israel to "end its blockade of Gaza immediately and allow the entry of fuel to facilitate the lives of the innocent".

'Very, very cold'

"We have just shut down the entire power plant," Derar Abu Sissi, a senior official at the Gaza plant, said on Sunday night.

"At least 800,000 people are now in darkness. The catastrophe will affect hospitals, medical clinics, water wells, houses, factories, all aspects of life."

The plant's director, Rafik Maliha, said earlier that the regular fuel delivery from Israel had not arrived because the fuel terminal, Nahal Oz, was closed and the facility had almost no reserves.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, John Ging, told the BBC it was a desperate situation.

"The hospitals are operating on generator power," he said.

"What it means is that the vital medical equipment is functioning, but there's no power for heating, so it's very, very cold in all the hospitals tonight."

He warned that when diesel supplies ran out, there would be no fuel to power the generators.

A local health official, Dr Moaiya Hassanain, said hospitals faced a catastrophic choice between cutting "electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients" or stopping operating theatres.

Several thousand residents staged a candle-lit march through Gaza City after the blackout.

'No shortage'

Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for Israel's defence ministry, insisted the power station had enough fuel to continue functioning.

"If they shut it down, it's not because of a fuel shortage, but because they want to create the impression of a crisis," he said.

He described the closure of the power station as "not comfortable but not a humanitarian crisis".

Israel, which shut the borders on Thursday, has reduced the flow of petrol used in cars and diesel to the strip but says fuel oil and cooking gas are not affected.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said the border closures were intended to apply pressure to the Palestinian authorities to stop militants in Gaza firing rockets at Israel.

"If they stop the rockets today, everything would go back to normal," he said.

More than 200 rockets and mortars have hit Israel from Gaza since an Israeli operation against militants on Tuesday which left 18 Palestinians dead, the military says.

Israeli ministers meeting on Sunday decided to maintain the border closure for the time being, an unnamed source told AFP news agency.

Hamas said its attacks on Israel would not cease because of the sanctions.

"We will not raise the white flag and we will not surrender," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told the London-based independent Quds Press web news agency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7198798.stm

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

If only Hamas would learn to play well with others. Don't they know that when you have trade dependencies on another country, you don't rain bombs on them? Live (and die) and learn.

[Dan J 277]

There is also an element of Israel and the US, not wanting to work with Hamas. Which is what caused the end of the power sharing deal the Palestinian Authority and Hamas had. If the US an Israel was not so arrogant in its posture, we may not have the situation we have in Gaza today.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

There is also an element of Israel and the US, not wanting to work with Hamas. Which is what caused the end of the power sharing deal the Palestinian Authority and Hamas had. If the US an Israel was not so arrogant in its posture, we may not have the situation we have in Gaza today.

Generally speaking, if Party A depends on Party B for a vital supply, then it is Party A that must demonstrate the proper humility, not Party B. Being nice and humble on part of Party B is a nice thing, but not necessary. For Party A, it is necessary.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

There is also an element of Israel and the US, not wanting to work with Hamas. Which is what caused the end of the power sharing deal the Palestinian Authority and Hamas had. If the US an Israel was not so arrogant in its posture, we may not have the situation we have in Gaza today.

Generally speaking, if Party A depends on Party B for a vital supply, then it is Party A that must demonstrate the proper humility, not Party B. Being nice and humble on part of Party B is a nice thing, but not necessary. For Party A, it is necessary.

Even dogs know this. Cats on the other hand.....

[HLM 1]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

When in a position of weakness, display humility. Even if you don't mean it. It's the smart thing to do.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Just wrong, if true.

Israel keeps up raids amid blackout

... the blackout did not stop Israel from continuing its military offensive, launching air raids in northern Gaza that killed at least two Palestinians late on Sunday.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/52F...50D05F5B504.htm

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

That's fair. But unfortunately what isn't fair is a large civilian population suffering as a result of a lack of basic utilities.

This isn't a "who's to blame" thing, much as it might make arm-chair spectators feel better about ascribing blame to a a side; ultimately I think those arguments are useless anyway. Its things like this that make this a never-ending, self-perpetuating cycle of violence, and for that matter people only seem to care about the "evil terrorists". Everyone else can sit and spin, it seems...

Edited January 21, 2008 by Number 6

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

can't tell a rabid dog not to bite.

[Charuhans 0]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

can't tell a rabid dog not to bite.

What does one do with a rabid dog?

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

can't tell a rabid dog not to bite.

What does one do with a rabid dog?

business end of a 12 gauge........

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

can't tell a rabid dog not to bite.

What does one do with a rabid dog?

Unfortunately not all the dogs are rabid. They're not all dogs either.

[hitchoo 0]

There is also an element of Israel and the US, not wanting to work with Hamas. Which is what caused the end of the power sharing deal the Palestinian Authority and Hamas had. If the US an Israel was not so arrogant in its posture, we may not have the situation we have in Gaza today.

Generally speaking, if Party A depends on Party B for a vital supply, then it is Party A that must demonstrate the proper humility, not Party B. Being nice and humble on part of Party B is a nice thing, but not necessary. For Party A, it is necessary.

i completely agree with you , but hope Gazas children can understand your math Mr pro, wonder when ill all people from everywhere ,understand that we all have feelings and a thing can give us the same pain,

im a Muslim , dont count jews , christians or hindus as enemies, my enemy is the intelorance, fanaticim poverty and who ill hurt my wife , my kids and my family.

we forgot that all prophets been sent from allah to lead them to worship him , and to keep the mankind

Muhammad , jesus , moses. no one would agree on a child to be killed in 9/11 or in gaza or in Africa

my point now , its not hamas or isreal , its the innocent children , Omar , Jordan and ireal who dies before they know how to understand your math