by Amos Harel, Barak Ravid, and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz - Oct 25, 2007
Israel will in the coming days begin cutting electricity to the Gaza Strip as a response to Qassam rocket fire, after Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave final approval to the defense establishment plan on Thursday.
In the first phase, Israel will disrupt electricity to various areas in the Strip, and will also limit the supply of fuel to Gaza.
Decisions regarding the implementation of the sanctions will be taken in accordance with developments.
Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said Israel had no choice but to take punitive measures. "Should we tell them to continue firing rockets at the same power station that provides them with electricity and continue to bomb the water system that provides them with water?" he asked on Israel Radio.
In response, the Israeli human rights group Gisha issued a statement warning that, "Playing with electricity is playing with fire, adding, Even a brief interruption in electricity threatens the safety and well-being of Gaza residents."
One of Israel's main electricity stations is outside Ashkelon, just 6 miles from Gaza. Several rockets have exploded nearby, as Palestinian militants consider the power station to be a prime target.
Early Thursday morning, Palestinian militants fired two Qassam rockets toward the western Negev. Both rockets struck open fields in the southern town of Sderot, causing to injuries or damage.
Thursday afternoon, four mortar shells struck near the Sufa checkpoint on southern Gaza's border with Israel. There were no injuries.
Also Thursday, two Hamas militants and an Islamic Jihad member were killed by Israel Defense Forces fire in two separate incidents in the Gaza Strip.
The security establishment decided a few days ago to cut electricity to the Beit Hanun area in the northern Strip in response to rocket fire, in keeping with a September cabinet decision to designate Gaza as "hostile territory."
On Tuesday, in an urgent meeting held following 8 Qassam and 12 mortar attacks on Israel, senior defense officials decided to recommend to Barak and the cabinet the imposition of further sanctions on the Gaza Strip.
During the meeting, called by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, it was decided to recommend additional limitations on the delivery of various types of fuel, services and merchandise.
"Because this is an entity that is hostile to us there is no reason for us to supply them with electricity beyond the minimum required to prevent a crisis," Vilnai told Army Radio.
According to Israeli and Palestinian officials, Gaza's population uses about 200 megawatts of electricity, of which 120 are provided directly from Israeli power lines, 17 are delivered from Egypt, and 65 are produced at a local Palestinian plant.
Data was presented at the meeting stating that Israel has five electric lines going into the Gaza Strip. Four deliver power to an army base in the area of the Strip or to neighborhoods in Gaza City with hospitals, and therefore they cannot be shut down. The fifth line transmits power from Israel to Beit Hanun, the source of extensive rocket fire.
The defense establishment and the Israel Electric Corporation are working on possible joint steps involving power. The defense establishment is reportedly opposed to the idea of cutting the water supply to the Strip.
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