Quote:
By ALI DARAGHMEH and JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press Writers
12 minutes ago
NABLUS, West Bank - Palestinian gas stations started shutting down and motorists lined up at pumps after an Israeli fuel company cut off deliveries Wednesday, deepening the humanitarian crisis following Hamas' rise to power.
An end to fuel supplies for the West Bank and Gaza could cripple hospitals, halt food deliveries and keep people home from work — a devastating scenario for an economy already ravaged by Israeli and international sanctions.
The Israeli company Dor Energy, the sole fuel provider to the Palestinians since interim peace agreements in the mid-1990s, cited growing debts for its decision, Palestinian officials said. Dor declined comment, but the company had threatened to cut off supplies twice before this year, only to be paid at the last minute by the Palestinians.
Asaf Shariv, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said Israel would "absolutely not" bail out the Palestinians. Shariv said that since the Palestinian government resells gasoline to consumers, there is no reason for it not to have money to pay its debts.
But Palestinian officials said their cash-strapped government is one of the biggest users of gasoline and unable to pay the bill.
Mujahid Salame, head of the Palestinian petrol authority, predicted fuel supplies would run out in many areas by Thursday. "If this happens, there will be a humanitarian crisis," he said.In Gaza City, people tried to stock up at filling stations.
"I bought more than I need because I want to guarantee that I can reach work again," said Osama Shaban, 33, a construction engineer who drives 10 miles to work each day.
Station owners said they have several days of reserves, but some limited motorists' purchases to conserve supplies. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a top Health Ministry official in Gaza, warned that the area's hospitals, already suffering from a medicine shortage, would cease to function without fuel: Ambulances would stop running, employees would be unable to get to work, gas generators — used during ongoing electric outages — would be hobbled.
"It's going to be a disaster for us," he said at a Gaza City gas station, where he helped fill up several ambulances. In the West Bank, the situation was more dire. Many stations said they were out of fuel, some laying their dry nozzles on the ground.
"The only thing I've been doing for the past day is telling drivers that I don't have any gas," said Awad Dabous, who works at a station in the town of Jenin. A sign said simply: "Sorry, no gas."
In Nablus, a line of taxi drivers said they stopped working because they had no fuel. One driver, Mahmoud Tourabi, said he would try to drive to a nearby Jewish settlement in hopes of filling his tank.
"They may kill me there, so I will be the martyr of the gas," he quipped.
The fuel crunch is the latest sign of trouble for the Palestinian economy, hit hard by a cutoff in Western aid. Donors halted the money flow in response to Hamas' victory in legislative elections, demanding the group renounce violence and recognize Israel. The U.S. and European Union, the two biggest donors, consider Hamas a terrorist group.
Hamas has rejected the demands, despite a financial crisis that has left it unable to pay the salaries of thousands of government workers for two months.
Instead, it has raised some $70 million from Iran and Arab donors. But under U.S. pressure, banks refuse to transfer the funds, and the money remains stuck in an account in Egypt. Compounding Hamas' woes, Israel cut off about $55 million in monthly transfers of tax it collects for the Palestinians. Israel has placed the money in escrow.
Israel dipped into this money last month to pay Palestinian bills to government-owned companies, such as the Israeli electric monopoly. The Palestinians rely on Israel for many key supplies, including fuel, electricity and water.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that Israel would consider releasing the tax funds "for direct humanitarian needs, such as medicines, such as health needs." But the money could not go to the Palestinian Authority to pay salaries, she told Channel 10 TV.
Briefing reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday evening, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, said humanitarian aid is not enough. "It's true that there are a lot of expenses of schools and medicine, but salaries remain the basic issue," he said.
Palestinian officials and the World Bank say a humanitarian disaster is looming. Palestinians have been taking out loans, cutting back and selling valuables to scrape by. But officials say the situation can't continue much longer.
Fearing catastrophe, the Quartet of Mideast peace makers — the U.S., EU, United Nations and Russia — agreed Tuesday to restore some humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, as long as the money is not handled by Hamas. But it remains unclear how much money will be coming and when, and who will administer it.
Hamas said it welcomed any aid but expressed regrets that the Quartet attached strings. Israeli officials said they had no objections to humanitarian aid reaching Palestinians, provided it is kept out of the hands of Hamas.
Olmert has said he would be willing to negotiate with Hamas if the group agrees to end its violent campaign against the Jewish state. With Hamas refusing to budge, however, Olmert says he is prepared to draw Israel's borders on his own.
Justice Minister Haim Ramon on Wednesday gave Hamas until the end of the year to prove it is willing to negotiate a peace deal.
"If it becomes clear by the end of the year that we really have no partner, and the international community is also convinced of this, then we will take our fate into our own hands and not leave our fate in the hands of our enemies," he told Israel's Army radio.
Ramon, a close associate of Olmert, was the first Israeli official to set a deadline for Hamas.
12 minutes ago
NABLUS, West Bank - Palestinian gas stations started shutting down and motorists lined up at pumps after an Israeli fuel company cut off deliveries Wednesday, deepening the humanitarian crisis following Hamas' rise to power.
An end to fuel supplies for the West Bank and Gaza could cripple hospitals, halt food deliveries and keep people home from work — a devastating scenario for an economy already ravaged by Israeli and international sanctions.
The Israeli company Dor Energy, the sole fuel provider to the Palestinians since interim peace agreements in the mid-1990s, cited growing debts for its decision, Palestinian officials said. Dor declined comment, but the company had threatened to cut off supplies twice before this year, only to be paid at the last minute by the Palestinians.
Asaf Shariv, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said Israel would "absolutely not" bail out the Palestinians. Shariv said that since the Palestinian government resells gasoline to consumers, there is no reason for it not to have money to pay its debts.
But Palestinian officials said their cash-strapped government is one of the biggest users of gasoline and unable to pay the bill.
Mujahid Salame, head of the Palestinian petrol authority, predicted fuel supplies would run out in many areas by Thursday. "If this happens, there will be a humanitarian crisis," he said.In Gaza City, people tried to stock up at filling stations.
"I bought more than I need because I want to guarantee that I can reach work again," said Osama Shaban, 33, a construction engineer who drives 10 miles to work each day.
Station owners said they have several days of reserves, but some limited motorists' purchases to conserve supplies. Dr. Moaiya Hassanain, a top Health Ministry official in Gaza, warned that the area's hospitals, already suffering from a medicine shortage, would cease to function without fuel: Ambulances would stop running, employees would be unable to get to work, gas generators — used during ongoing electric outages — would be hobbled.
"It's going to be a disaster for us," he said at a Gaza City gas station, where he helped fill up several ambulances. In the West Bank, the situation was more dire. Many stations said they were out of fuel, some laying their dry nozzles on the ground.
"The only thing I've been doing for the past day is telling drivers that I don't have any gas," said Awad Dabous, who works at a station in the town of Jenin. A sign said simply: "Sorry, no gas."
In Nablus, a line of taxi drivers said they stopped working because they had no fuel. One driver, Mahmoud Tourabi, said he would try to drive to a nearby Jewish settlement in hopes of filling his tank.
"They may kill me there, so I will be the martyr of the gas," he quipped.
The fuel crunch is the latest sign of trouble for the Palestinian economy, hit hard by a cutoff in Western aid. Donors halted the money flow in response to Hamas' victory in legislative elections, demanding the group renounce violence and recognize Israel. The U.S. and European Union, the two biggest donors, consider Hamas a terrorist group.
Hamas has rejected the demands, despite a financial crisis that has left it unable to pay the salaries of thousands of government workers for two months.
Instead, it has raised some $70 million from Iran and Arab donors. But under U.S. pressure, banks refuse to transfer the funds, and the money remains stuck in an account in Egypt. Compounding Hamas' woes, Israel cut off about $55 million in monthly transfers of tax it collects for the Palestinians. Israel has placed the money in escrow.
Israel dipped into this money last month to pay Palestinian bills to government-owned companies, such as the Israeli electric monopoly. The Palestinians rely on Israel for many key supplies, including fuel, electricity and water.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday that Israel would consider releasing the tax funds "for direct humanitarian needs, such as medicines, such as health needs." But the money could not go to the Palestinian Authority to pay salaries, she told Channel 10 TV.
Briefing reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday evening, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, said humanitarian aid is not enough. "It's true that there are a lot of expenses of schools and medicine, but salaries remain the basic issue," he said.
Palestinian officials and the World Bank say a humanitarian disaster is looming. Palestinians have been taking out loans, cutting back and selling valuables to scrape by. But officials say the situation can't continue much longer.
Fearing catastrophe, the Quartet of Mideast peace makers — the U.S., EU, United Nations and Russia — agreed Tuesday to restore some humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, as long as the money is not handled by Hamas. But it remains unclear how much money will be coming and when, and who will administer it.
Hamas said it welcomed any aid but expressed regrets that the Quartet attached strings. Israeli officials said they had no objections to humanitarian aid reaching Palestinians, provided it is kept out of the hands of Hamas.
Olmert has said he would be willing to negotiate with Hamas if the group agrees to end its violent campaign against the Jewish state. With Hamas refusing to budge, however, Olmert says he is prepared to draw Israel's borders on his own.
Justice Minister Haim Ramon on Wednesday gave Hamas until the end of the year to prove it is willing to negotiate a peace deal.
"If it becomes clear by the end of the year that we really have no partner, and the international community is also convinced of this, then we will take our fate into our own hands and not leave our fate in the hands of our enemies," he told Israel's Army radio.
Ramon, a close associate of Olmert, was the first Israeli official to set a deadline for Hamas.
This makes my brain hurt. I can understand the majority of the world's governments viewing Hamas and the Palestinian movement as terrorists, but this is affecting people who have done no wrong. It's very disturbing that despite all the clear signs that a humanitarian crisis is looming, nothing is being done.
Oh wait I guess this is what happens when you blow up buses filled with schoolchildren. Gotta break a few eggs I guess
Edited, Wed May 10 19:06:13 2006 by Buffyisagoddess
