Ramallah, Aug 18: Gaza’s only power plant was shut down on Tuesday, less than a week after Israel suspended fuel shipments to the Palestinian enclave after the Palestinians launched incendiary balloons that led to brush fires in southern Israel, Al Jazeera reported.
Gaza, run by Hamas, and with a population of 2 million, totally relies on Israel for most of its energy needs and currently receives about six hours of electricity followed by a 10-hour power cut.
“The power feed may now decline to only four hours per day,” said Mohammad Thabet, an official at Gaza’s main power distribution company, after fuel ran out at the plant.
Gaza homes and businesses have to rely on generators due to the long power cuts, financially burdening the largely impoverished people.
Officials in Gaza said the power plant’s closure on Tuesday would cause disruptions at vital facilities such as hospitals, which are also equipped with generators.
Dozens of helium balloons carrying incendiary material have been launched from Gaza in recent days, in a bid to pressure Israel to ease its blockade and allow more Arab and international investment.
Israel cites security concerns in imposing restrictions.
