After a one day respite on Tuesday, Israel resumes fuel blockade of Gaza strip

Wednesday January 23, 2008 21:59

by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli sources announced on Wednesday that the Israeli army had stopped all fuel and food supplies shipments from interring the Gaza strip on Wednesday.

Rafah Crossing - File 2007

The Israeli government said that its decision comes as a response to the Palestinian resistance destroying the Wall separating the southern part of the Gaza strip from Egypt in order to allow the Palestinian people to leave Gaza and shop for supplies in Egypt and come back to the Coastal region.

Israeli army officials held the Egyptian army responsible of policing the borders since Israel claims that it has no troops at this section of the borders.

On Wednesday at dawn the Palestinian resistance destroyed part of the Wall separating the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah from Egypt using five home made bombs, shortly afterwards thousands of Palestinian flocked through and started to buy food and fuel supplies from Egypt to bring back to the Coastal region

The Rafah crossing, located in the southern side of the Gaza strip, is the only way for Palestinians to leave or enter the region, sine June 2007; the crossing was completely closed by the Israeli and Egyptian troops.

On Thursday last week, the Israeli government decided to keep pressure on the Gaza Strip by further attacking Palestinian resistance groups. On Friday Israel declared all Gaza's crossings completely closed, with a total ban of fuel and supplies to the coastal region. By Sunday Gaza had no electricity since the Solo Gaza power plant depends on Israeli Fuel.

After a widespread international outcry following Israel cutting off of all fuel into Gaza, that left Gaza without electricity, the Israeli authorities agreed to allow fuel and medicine into the Palestinian coastal region on Tuesday for one day only.