Israeli cuts in fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip are hitting home, affecting schools, hospitals and businesses as officials from Hamas and the Palestinian Authority exchange blame for the suffering.
Utility cuts are intended to pressure Hamas to halt rocket fire into Israel.
Filling stations across this seaside territory have shut down, crippling public transportation systems.
Khozendar Sons Co., one of the largest fuel suppliers in Gaza, halted operations in Gaza City last week to protest the limited fuel deliveries. Desperate residents were turned away by signs that read "No diesel" plastered on every pump.
A life-size dummy dangled from a noose in front of the empty pumps at one station, a sign tacked to its chest reading: "Those responsible."
The fuel crunch also is leaving families without dependable supplies of water or electricity.
"We don't speak about Jerusalem or about refugees; we speak about [50,000 gallons] of fuel to sustain life in the region," said Maamon Khozendar, chairman of Khozendar Sons. He argued that forcing the region deeper into poverty would only increase support for Hamas.
Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Radee, a Hamas member, accused the Fatah-led government of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas of colluding with Israel to undermine conditions in the Hamas-ruled strip.
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"This is not only Israel; the Ramallah government is taking part in this," he said.
Before Hamas militants drove Fatah security forces from the territory in June, 160,000 gallons of fuel were delivered to Gaza daily. At least 80,000 gallons are required to meet basic needs.
Thousands of residents have lost access to safe drinking water because the fuel shortages have shut down generators used to pump water from wells in several neighborhoods, said Maher El-Najjar, an engineer at the Coastal Municipalities Water Authority.
The lack of fuel also has affected wastewater treatment plants across the territory. Raw sewage flowed through Gaza City streets after a partial closure of the main wastewater treatment plant, serving 400,000 residents.
"We have about 30 percent of the fuel in stock for Gaza's 12 hospitals and 52 primary health care centers," Mr. Radee said.
Medical employees have been unable to travel to work, while vaccinations and medications have spoiled without refrigeration.
In a joint appeal yesterday, the World Health Organization and the U.N. Relief and Works Agency said the energy shortages were having a severe effect on hospitals.
"WHO and UNRWA are appealing to all parties involved to ensure that in the future all health facilities in Gaza are supplied with the appropriate amount of electricity and fuel to provide fully functional services," the agencies said.
The Israeli army on Oct. 28 ordered private Israeli fuel company Dor Alon to provide 20 percent less fuel than had been ordered for Gaza. Gaza residents purchase fuel from Dor Alon under an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, and the fuel then is transferred through underground lines. Israel does not permit fuel to enter Gaza by sea or air, or across the Egyptian border.
The Temporary International Mechanism, an emergency program of the European Union to ensure that the Palestinian population's basic humanitarian needs are met under the embargo, supplies fuel to the Gaza power station, which produces 30 percent of Gaza's power.
Ten high-voltage lines running from Israel to Gaza supply 65 percent of Gaza's electrical needs. Israel proposed putting a dimmer on each line to reduce the supply incrementally.
The Israeli High Court of Justice on Friday rejected a petition by human rights groups describing the reduction of fuel supplies to Gaza as "collective punishment" and illegal under international law. The court will issue a decision on the reduction of electricity this week.
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