[NYTr] Gaza Residents Warned Their Lives Are In Danger

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Steven L. Robinson - activ-l

[All we hear from 'progressive' and liberal apologists for the Israeli
government is of the evils of Hamas, with scarcely a mention of the
collective punishment being inflicted upon the people of Gaza. Of
course, one can accurately predict that any rejoinder would be that it
is all the fault of Hamas and of the stupid Palestinians who voted them
in.  The fact that collective punishment is a war crime does not seem
to register. -SR]

All Headlines News - Oct 28, 2007
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008975909

Gaza Residents Warned Their Lives Are in Danger
as Israel Starts Fuel Squeeze

by Paul Icamina

Gaza City, Gaza Strip  - Residents of the Gaza Strip were warned Sunday
their lives were in danger as Israel started the squeeze on vital fuel
shipments.

"This is a serious warning to the people of the Gaza Strip. Their lives
are now in danger," said Ahmed Ali, deputy director of Gaza's Petroleum
Authority. "The hospitals, water pumping station and sewage will now be
affected by the lack of fuel."

He said daily fuel shipments on Sunday were more than 30 percent below
normal. Gaza keeps about four days of fuel in reserve.

Israel wants to cut the fuel supplies and electricity after declaring
last month that Gaza was a "hostile entity" and in response to the
near-daily rocket attacks carried out by Palestinian militants in Gaza.

The attacks have killed 12 people in six years, the Guardian Unlimited
reports.

On Thursday, Israel military officials said they would begin cutting
electricity for 15 minutes, increasing the length of the power cuts
each day until all rocket attacks stopped.

The sanctions amount to collective punishment, critics said. But Israel
says they were but the latest step to "disengage" from Gaza following
the withdrawal of troops and settlers two years ago.

Human rights groups say that Israel is responsible for the well-being of
Gaza's 1.4 million people because it borders and therefore continues to
occupy the strip.