Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

Israel Supplies Gaza With Qatari-Funded Fuel, as Egypt Continue Closing Rafah Crossing

March 16, 2014

Gaza wounded persons protest closure of Rafah crossing

[ 16/03/2014 - 07:50 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Wounded persons in Gaza Strip have staged a protest rally in front of the Egyptian embassy building in Gaza city on Saturday demanding an end to the closure of Rafah border crossing.

A spokesman for the wounded told a press conference organized in front of the embassy that more than 1,500 wounded and sick Palestinians have been waiting for the crossing to open for the past 35 days.

He said that the current regime in Egypt could not reflect the opinion of the Egyptian people or the honorable history of their country, adding that Cairo was always a big supporter of the Palestine cause.

The spokesman appealed to the Egyptian authorities to open the Rafah crossing and to allow them to travel for treatment, adding that the wounded and sick people would never forgive those who contributed in besieging Gaza.

IOA opens Karm Abu Salem crossing

[ 16/03/2014 - 10:15 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

The Israeli Occupation Authorities (IOA) decided to open Karm Abu Salem crossing on Sunday to allow the entry of fuel as Gaza’s sole power plant had shut down at noon Saturday due to fuel shortage, chairman of the Coordination Committee of Entry of Goods into the Gaza Strip Raed Fattou'h said.

Fattou'h told Safa News Agency that Israeli authorities agreed to open Abu Salem crossing for the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip to run the power plant.

Energy and Natural Resources Authority in Gaza said that Gaza Strip's sole power station stopped generating electricity on Saturday after it ran out of fuel due to the continued closure of Karm Abu Salem crossing southern Gaza strip.

Deputy chairman of the Energy Authority Fat'hi El-Shaikh Khalil said in a press statement on Saturday that the power station stopped working due to lack of fuel, although Qatar had sent 10 million dollars to fund the fuel needed to run the power plant for three more months.

Daily blackouts of around 12 hours are expected, negatively affecting the life aspects in the besieged Strip, he pointed out.

The IOA Thursday closed Karm Abu Salem and Erez crossings few hours after the Quds Brigades launched dozens of rockets at Israeli targets in response to the continued Israeli violations in the West Bank and Gaza.

For his part, the director of crossings and borders Nadhmi Muhana confirmed that shipments of industrial fuel had arrived in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning via the Karm Abu Salem crossing.

Hamad: Egypt is not responding to demands to open Rafah crossing

[ 15/03/2014 - 03:01 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Deputy Foreign Minister in Gaza Dr. Ghazi Hamad said the Egyptian authorities have not responded to the Palestinian calls for opening the Rafah border crossing since its last closure.

Hamad condemned in a press statement on Saturday the decision to close the Rafah crossing, and said: "Apart from the political positions and the difference in visions, the closure of the crossing before the patients who are suffering every day cannot be justified."

He pointed out that his government has sent letters to several bodies including the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League, urging them to take action to open the Rafah crossing.

The Egyptian authorities have continued to close the crossing for the 36th day before the patients, students and other humanitarian cases.

Since the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi on July 3 last year, the Egyptian authorities have continued to close the Rafah crossing, which was opened only for few exceptional days before a limited number of humanitarian cases.