The continued shutdown of the Rafah Border Crossing threatens a full breakdown of all humanitarian sectors needed to sustain life in Gaza, the Hamas Cabinet spokesman Ihab Al-Ghosein said. “It has become clear that the Egyptian side is intent on tightening the siege on the Gaza Strip and escalating the humanitarian situation.”
Egypt Daily News Al-Ghosein added that the Egyptian side is dealing with the humanitarian suffering with “unjustified negativity” and called on the Egyptian side to open the Rafah Border Crossing, which has been shut since 8 November until further notice. The ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi on 3 July was followed by repeated shutdowns of the Rafah Border Crossing that would last for longer than a week in many cases.
Al-Ghosein called on Egypt to end its “disregard” for the suffering of Gazans, adding that the suffering has become unbearable. He additionally called on all Arab and regional countries to immediately intervene to open the Rafah Border Crossing and all other closed crossings that are “stifling” the strip.
The latest weekly report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, “the recurrent closure of the Rafah crossing has contributed to a decline in the volume of aid supplies donated by international actors, which had previously been transferred via the Rafah crossing.”
But the humanitarian situation in Gaza is exacerbated by a fuel crisis which has left the strip’s only power plant shut for 17 days. The Gaza Power Plant had been operating on half of its capacity for weeks but on Friday, 1 November, the power plant shut down.
A Gazan proposal to end the fuel crisis was announced on Sunday by Deputy Chairman of the Energy Authority Fathi Al-Sheikh Khalil who said that a proposal presented to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) suggested that the agency would buy the fuel needed to operate the power plant from Israel and that Gulf emirate of Qatar would pay the price difference. Khalil said UNRWA presented the proposal to Israel but is yet to receive an Israeli response.
The power plant needs 500,000 liters of fuel a day to run on full capacity. Israeli fuel is more expensive than the subsidised Egyptian fuel Gaza used to rely on for electricity. Before June 2013, the power plant used to receive 400,000 liters of subsidized Egyptian fuel a day. The latest OCHA report stated that, “almost no Egyptian fuel was supplied to Gaza via illegal smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt.”
The shutdown of the power plant increases power cuts in the strip from 12 to 16 hours a day, the OCHA report said, adding that it “disrupts the provision of basic services, including water supply, sanitation, health, and transportation.”
One day after the power plant shut down, the military spokesman of the Egyptian Armed Forces said on his official page that the army had discovered and destroyed, in the early hours of Saturday, the “largest network” for diesel smuggling to Gaza. It came as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal underground tunnel operations beneath the Egypt-Gaza Strip border.
Hamas-Egypt relations have witnessed increasing tensions in recent months, much of which is related to the rise of militancy which took place in Sinai, after the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi on 3 July.
The Foreign Ministry did not respond to a call for comment in time for publishing but earlier Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said in an interview in September that there are doubts regarding Hamas and “other Islamic movements in Gaza” in relation to “the terrorist activity in Sinai,” adding that tough responses, including military action, will follow if Egypt feels Hamas or other parties are attempting to threaten national security.
one tiny violin coming right up
feeling bad for gazas is so hard considering theyre such nasty inbreeds.
their hate got hamas in power and now they cry when hamas creates these situations for them,…..boo fucking hooo
Those children are the spawn of Islamist demons. Let them die. Why is a childs life more valuable than an adult?
At the risk of both of us being castigated, I’ve often wondered that, John.
Twenty five years ago I worked in Calgary, Alberta, with a man from Belfast, and an Englishman who had been in Belfast as a para during the ‘troubles’.
They were talking about the troubles together and I heard the Englishman say: “We shot the little bastards……..” And I walked right into it.
“You mean you shot kids?”
“Peter, they were little killers, well armed and would have shot us, would you stand there and let them shoot you just because they were kids?”
‘Nuff said?
It would be quite funny if the Egyptian military went into Gaza and flattened it. I’m certain they wouldn’t be as careful as the Israelis.
It would be great just to see how the fascist, left wing media dealt with it.
Joeb, they have already threatened to do that if Hamas doesn’t stop putting terrorists in Sinai.
GREAT to see the Egyptians **crushing** the festering sore of Gaza! The Hamas scum must be destroyed!
As you mention, the *hypocritical* left-wingers are “missing in action”. Israel could feed every starving child in the world and they would STILL find a way to criticise it.
An artificial problem of their own making. Enough real problems like the earthquake and typhoon that hit central Philippines.
Great news. Egypt is finally getting it that the muslim demon hood is the problem. All support for Isral and Egypts efforts, supported by Russian weapons, to secure gaza. Once again obama has put America on the wrong side of the situation. obama, today, would be arrested in Egypt for his support of morsi and the muslim demon hood.
cat, you got it my friend. Actually, Obama is the source of what happened lately in Egypt. He is more evil than Mursi. Mursi did not deceive the people. He acted all the time as he is really is A FANTIC MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD. Obama on the other hand, deceived the Americans big time and still doing that with extreme hate to the country which made him somebody.
I blame those Americans who voted for him and hold them responsible for the downfall of our once a great country.
CiCi should build more jails.
All it takes is enough basic shortages to get the gazans to kill each other. This can happen and will be good for the entire region. No muslim country wants this troublesome population that breeds infighting wherever it shows up.
An interesting exchange program would be missiles and rockets in exchange for fuel and water.
Excellent idea, Susan.
Weapons for food exchange would work great. I once compared the muzzies to barn cats – they’re loyal till the food runs out.
I think, between the Israelis and the Egyptians, who have been luke-warm friends for years, might just put Hamas out the door. I’m not certain where Fatah stands but I’m sure it’s in line with Hamas’ fate as well.
If Israel and Egypt do this right, they can squeeze the “puss”, that is Intifada, out of the region and let this festering boil on humanity heal.
What an unlikely turn of evens we watch…..
I know there are innocent children there, but I hope Egypt annihilates Gaza. Of course, even if Israel has nothing to do with it whatsoever, Israel will be blamed. But it would eradicate a festering cancer that affects the entire world. Gaza is a violent, radical toilet that sucks our tax dollars down a dark hole and kills and tortures innocent people. It is a fake rallying point to lure Arab morons into cheering for a people they cannot stand, and Arab leaders hope that they won’t take note of their corrupt and filthy leaders.
oh dear too bad so sad
Boo hoo. Sorry, no empathy or sympathy for these creatures.