Clampdown trigger Gaza Fuel Crisis

[EagleKeeper]

Egypt shuts down fuel delivery

Petrol pumps have run dry and power cuts are blacking out the Gaza Strip because of a dispute over fuel supplies between Egypt and the enclave's Hamas Islamist rulers.

...

Last month, Egypt began cracking down on the illegal flow of fuel to Gaza through the network of smuggling tunnels running under their border. Gaza's lone power plant ran out of fuel for its generators, causing outages affecting nearly two-thirds of the area's population of 1.7 million.

Egypt insists on sending fuel through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, citing old international understandings which limit the use of Egypt's Rafah terminal with Gaza to the movement of passengers only.

Maybe Israel is not as isolated as LL claims.

Egypt can play both sides

Now an agreement with Hamas

Hamas has reached a "comprehensive agreement" with Egypt to permanently end Gaza's ongoing electricity crisis, the Islamist movement said on Thursday.

Who gave in to who and what was the cost?

This covers electricity - not fuel. - Humanitarian

 

[JEDIYoda]

Egypt shuts down fuel delivery



Maybe Israel is not as isolated as LL claims.

Egypt can play both sides

Now an agreement with Hamas

Who gave in to who and what was the cost?

This covers electricity - not fuel. - Humanitarian

Looks to me like Israel has been shunned and isolated just like Lemon law predicted!!

So the next question is why would Egypt insist on dealing with Israel rather than Hamas.....hmmmmm

Even the people who live under Hamas control are criticizing Hamas --
I like what this civil worker said --"If Hamas calls itself a government they should find solutions. If there was unity, many of these problems would cease to exist," said Saed Salem, a 41-year-old civil servant.

From the article ---

Egypt insists on sending fuel through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, citing old international understandings which limit the use of Egypt's Rafah terminal with Gaza to the movement of passengers only.

Hamas objects. It is opposed to giving its foe Israel the opportunity to block supplies in times of tension and wants direct trade with Egypt, a move that could strengthen Gaza's economy and Hamas's popularity.

But a rocky relationship between Egypt and the Islamists who wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in 2007 has fuelled the crisis.

A source from Abbas's Western-backed Palestinian Authority said Israel had coordinated with Egypt to transfer fuel to Gaza's power station on Friday which could last up to two days. An Israeli spokesman said 450,000 litres would be transferred.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

Some Hamas sources accuse Egypt of creating fuel shortages to pressure the movement to implement a unity deal with Western-backed Abbas. Mohammed Awad, the deputy prime minister in the Gaza Strip, said the crisis was politically motivated and Hamas "will overcome it".

Hamas's Gaza-based leadership has balked at the accord signed by Khaled Meshaal, a leader of the group who lives in exile, because it fears the reconciliation agreement could weaken its control of the enclave.

"If Hamas calls itself a government they should find solutions. If there was unity, many of these problems would cease to exist," said Saed Salem, a 41-year-old civil servant.

"There is no fuel to generate electricity and no cooking gas to make food and no cars to go to work in or visit family and friends."

Urging "concerned parties" to resolve the supply problems as soon as possible, Maxwell Gaylard, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, said hospitals and ambulance services were finding it increasingly difficult to function and already fragile water and sanitation systems were failing.

 

[Lemon law]

What a shallow analysis, IMHO, JediY.

Maybe this Jpost article will add some perspective.

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=263151

And I can't refind the link right now, it looks like the GOP had to sign off its strictures to prevent a human rights mass starvation problem in Gaza.

For all the Israeli bitching regarding the Hamas government and its charter, Israel makes in damn near impossible to hold new elections in Gaza. But as the Muslim brotherhood is getting ready to assert its political control of Egypt, its still somewhat the fact the Egyptian military still calling the shots. Meanwhile Fatah and Abbas are trying to unite with Fatah. The problem is that many Hamas leaders say yes yes yes, while other Hamas leaders say no no no. Meanwhile Israeli agents run around Gaza assassinating any Hamas officials they can find. Making it far easier for other terrorists in no affiliated with Hamas to fire overgrown bottle rockets at Israel. Pulling Israel back into low level terrorists attacks and what has been true during 64 out of 64 years of Israeli history. And killing any chance of a Palestinian State. The one bright side inside of Israel, is that many elements inside Israel also call for a settlement freeze. And as of today, the immediate fuel crisis is defused as fuel shipments will resume.

But this is no longer 1990, its 2012, and soon the AIPAC trump card playing will end after the 11/2012 elections. Meanwhile its soon likely Egypt will come under full Muslim Brotherhood control, and Egypt will effectively end their embargo of Gaza, as Egypt is likely to view Gaza as a buffer state between it and Israel. Jordan is likely to follow suit, a Hamas Fatah reunification looks far more likely. And Israeli saber rattling against Iran is pushing up world oil price resulting in Misery for everyone.

As the world changes, and has a super high stake in mid-east stability, its the Arab and Palestinian side that is moving from extremist to more moderate positions, while the current Israeli government move rapidly towards total lala land extremism.

 

[cybrsage]

Wait...Israel is preventing elections in Gaza? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[woodie1]

Ah, let the blame games continue ... More at 11.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Ok LL, I will bite. How is Israel preventing elections from being held?

You keep pushing back the date of accounting. You were touting the Sept as when the world would make Israel crumble because the Palestinians would have risen (from the dead?) Then you were stating the Palestinian elections (which never happened). You think that US elections will change the country's attitudes?

You keep moving the goal posts back, hoping that you will be correct. That is the exact attitude that allows things to continue. Overtolerance and forgiveness with the promise that tomorrow will be better.
Tomorrow will not be better until you address the problem today. Otherwise, you pick up extra baggage every day that will break your back before you get to your destination

 

[EagleKeeper]

The Arab side is moving to moderation?

Tell that to Syria and Libya, Yemen, etc.

 

[cave_dweller]

Egypt shuts down fuel delivery



Maybe Israel is not as isolated as LL claims.

Egypt can play both sides

Now an agreement with Hamas



Who gave in to who and what was the cost?

This covers electricity - not fuel. - Humanitarian

Hamas is a terrorist organization. There is no agreement with such groups. They use terror and will keep on demanding more and more. Well Egypt you help create a non existent Palestinian culture in 67. So everything will eventually come back to haunt you.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

LL is the Harold Camping of middle east predictions.

 

[EagleKeeper]

LL is the Harold Camping of middle east predictions.

Yet he refuses to answer questions regarding his predictions

 

[Lemon law]

Just because my predictions have not fully happened, does not mean they are already starting to happen. And with Israel collecting taxes for Gaza, Israel can illegally and unethically prevent the Hamas from buying fuel.

To blame only Egypt for the fuel crisis is overly simplistic, Israel and the USA are up to to their eyeballs. And were forced to basically loosen up the flow of fuel into Gaza, as Israel and the USA did not want the international black eye that would follow the mass collapse of Gaza social services.

But still smuggling tunnels have been an unmitigated boon for the people of Gaza, as the unemployment rate has dropped from some 55% down to 35% or so. And that would have never happened without the freedom flotillas. As for the future Egyptian government, right now the Egyptian army is calling most of the shots, but with the Egyptian elections basically now completed, its nearing time for the Civilian Egyptian government to take over. At which point the Israeli boycott of Gaza may be Kaput with smuggling tunnels no longer needed.

 

[EagleKeeper]

The fuel is still under Israel supply points.

the only thing that was solved was electricity. And that was an Egypt/Hamas issue as an humanitarian issue, not a political one.


The US and Israel were not involved in it.

How have the freedom flotillas made any difference except call attentions. Not one made it through.

the Military government chose to keep the agreements with Israel made by their previous government. You really expect that the "new" Egypt government will void existing agreements.

If they do; then why are you expecting the Israel should honor any agreements with Egypt. And you expect that other countries that have agreements with Egypt might start having second thoughts.

When governments do not renege on the agreements of predecessors; they go on peoples' shit list.

 

[cubby1223]

Why does it feel like the anti-Israel crowd believes that if you are not anti-Israel then that means you are pro-oppression of innocent people?