Gaza City - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak late Monday
ordered resumed shipments of 'limited' amounts of industrial diesel
fuel into the Gaza Strip, after six days in which the territory's
border crossings were sealed.
Diesel for Gaza City's main power plant would be allowed into the
strip starting Tuesday, defence officials said.
A decision on whether to reopen goods crossings had yet to be
taken, officials told Israel Radio.
Barak's decision to reopen the Gaza borders to limited amounts of
fuel came after a request by special international Middle East envoy
Tony Blair during their Monday evening meeting.
Israel shut the fuel and goods crossing points on November 5, in
response to a barrage of rockets that followed the worst clash
between Israeli soldiers and Gaza militants since a June 19
ceasefire.
Gaza City was plunged in darkness for several hours Monday night,
after its main power plant stopped working allegedly because it ran
out of fuel.
Residents said they were without electricity from 6 pm (1600 GMT)
until shortly after 10 pm.
Hamas Television showed footage of protesters marching with lit
candles through the city's darkened streets.
The power outage was the first major blackout since the fragile
ceasefire took effect. The five-month truce, which is due to expire
in 10 days, has largely held, but an Israeli pin-point military
incursion on November 4 and the ensuing rocket barrage put tested the
ceasefire agreement. Hamas has threatened not to extend the truce.
Gaza militants have fired more than 60 locally produced Qassam
rockets and 20 mortar shells into Israel since last week's military
incursion, in which six militants and one civilian were killed.
Israeli troops crossed into the strip to destroy a tunnel
underneath the Gaza-Israel border, which the military said posed a
serious threat and was dug by militants who had planned to infiltrate
Israel and capture Israeli soldiers. Heavy clashes erupted as local
militants confronted the Israeli forces.
An Israeli Foreign Ministry statement sent to the media Monday
said that Israel remained 'committed' to the truce and 'expects Hamas
to uphold its commitments.'
The statement accused Hamas of ordering Gaza's main power plant to
shut down unnecessarily for propaganda purposes and 'the benefit of
the media.'
The Gaza power plant, which runs on European-supplied industrial
diesel, supplies electricity to part of the strip's 1.4 million
inhabitants, mostly to Gaza City.
Israel says the power plant only accounts for 25 per cent of
Gaza's electricity consumption on average, while the Jewish state
continues to supply some 70 per cent of the strip's needs via 10
uninterrupted high-power lines. Egypt contributes another 5 per cent.
'There is sufficient electricity in the Gaza Strip to operate
hospitals and other essential facilities. Hamas, as usual, is
orchestrating a media show,' charged the Foreign Ministry statement,
which had photographs attached of Hamas officials holding a
candlelight meeting, while in the background drawn curtains could be
seen blocking out daylight.
Another photograph showed demonstrators carrying lit candles, with
several lit neon signs and what seemed like shop windows in the
background.
Parts of Gaza City were plunged into darkness already on Sunday
after the power station turned off one turbine.
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