The only power station in Gaza, which supplies about one third of the strip with electricity, came to a standstill once again on Saturday night after it ran out of fuel due to the Israeli siege. The Deputy Head of the plant Kan'an U'beid said: "The power plant stopped due to a lack of fuel after Israel closed all border crossings into the strip." He stressed that the diesel that Israeli authorities allowed to enter the strip through Nahal Oz crossing was "very little and has ended over the past two days."
This is the fifth time in a month in which the only power plant in Gaza stops working, which means 45% of the strip will be deprived of electricity.
In the meantime, the Palestinian president called on the International Quartet, which met yesterday at the UN headquarters in New York at the ministerial level, to shoulder its responsibilities towards the peace process in the region. The Presidency Spokesman Nabil Abu Redina said: "The International Quartet has to shoulder its responsibilities, activate the peace process and really work on the implementation of the roadmap and the Arab peace initiative." On the other hand, Israel released yesterday some 230 Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli prison service spokesman Yaron Zamir said the released prisoners include 210 detainees from the West Bank and 17 from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to meet the released prisoners in his headquarters in Ramallah before they head for their homes. On the other hand, an official source announced yesterday that the Israeli authorities did not let the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Richard Falk into the country, accusing him of giving legitimacy to Hamas's terrorism.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said: «Israel clearly announced that Mr Falk was not invited or welcomed in Israel in his capacity as Special Rapporteur for Human Rights." UN Officials said Falk got back to Zurich after his arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said "Falk's task itself is biased and the matter is exacerbated due to his politicized points of view, as he gives legitimacy to Hamas's terrorism."
