ALI AL-HAYIK, the head of Gaza’s Federation of Industries and the Palestinian Businessmen Association on the Gaza Strip, warned yesterday that dozens of factories are on the brink of closure due to the imposed Gaza fuel crisis.
He urged the Hamas-led government to provide fuel to the factories to avert an impending catastrophe for local industry.
In a press statement, Hayik said the Hamas government must take responsibility for the crisis and must see that the power is restored.
He stressed that local business keeps the Palestinian economy afloat and provides employment, but has been beset by repeated disasters, including Israel’s blockade of Gaza and damage during Israeli military operations.
After fuel deliveries via underground tunnels from Egypt were shut off in recent weeks, Gaza’s power plant has shut down twice and the 1.7 million residents of the coastal strip face up to 18-hour blackouts each day.
Gaza Prime Minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniya on Friday blamed Egypt for not resolving the fuel shortage.
The power cuts started in mid-February, leaving households with just six hours of electricity a day.
Haniya told supporters that Egypt controlled the flow of fuel into Gaza and suggested the authorities in Cairo should have done more to help following the downfall of former president Hosni Mubarak.
‘Is it reasonable that Gaza remains without electricity a year after the revolution in Egypt?’ Haniya said in a weekly address, accusing Cairo of trying to force Gazans to accept their energy supplies via arch foe Israel.
‘Is it reasonable that Gaza remains blockaded a year after the dismissal of the tyrant Mubarak regime?’
There was no immediate comment from Egypt.
Israel imposes a land, sea and air blockade to prevent a long list of ‘banned materials’ from reaching Gaza, where Hamas does not recognise Israel.
Israel killed and wounded thousands, and damaged and destroyed the infrastructure of Gaza, its power station, houses, schools and hospitals during its notorious ‘Cast Lead’ military operation in 2009-10, which it is now threatening to repeat.
Mubarak helped maintain the blockade and Palestinians celebrated his ousting in the belief that the new rulers would be much more supportive of their cause. This has not happened.
Crucial fuel supplies that feed Gaza’s sole power plant were unexpectedly cut last month and Egypt has told Hamas that in future it should import its oil through legal channels – namely the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing.
Haniya said he could not agree to shift imports via Kerem Shalom because they would be too costly and vulnerable.
Haniya said Egypt wanted Gazans to pay $1 a litre for fuel in future – more than what they paid for smuggled diesel.
There is also a security problem. ‘If someone fired a bullet three kilometres away from Kerem Shalom, the Israelis would close the crossing and prevent the entry of fuel,’ Haniya said.
The Egyptian military regime in practice is opposed to an independent Palestinian state. It acts as a loyal ally of Israel and the US when it seeks to drive the Egyptian working class back and put an end to its revolution, and also seeks to drive Hamas into the arms of Israel.
It dreads the Palestinian and Egyptian revolutions becoming one, and sweeping capitalism, imperialism and Zionism, along with itself and other local agencies out of the Middle East.
That day is, however, fast approaching!
