Newspapers Review: Gaza protests against deepening electricity crisis focus of dailies WAFA

RAMALLAH, January 14, 2017 (WAFA) – Protests against weeks of deepening electricity crisis which left many of besieged Gaza’s two million population with less than three hours of electricity a day hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies on Saturday.

Al-Ayyam said Hamas security forces proceeded with quelling the “electricity intifada” as Palestinian factions condemned the detention of dozens of protestors by Hamas.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Gaza residents continued to protest the worsening electricity crisis. It added Hamas security forces cracked downed on protestors, injuring and detaining dozens.

Al-Quds said in this regard Gaza electricity crisis worsened, causing tensions to mount.

The dailies covered official Palestinian and international remarks in response to the Gaza electricity crisis.

Al-Quds said the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov called for “the full respect of the right to freedom of expression, peaceful protest and assembly in Gaza.”

It added Palestinian factions have called for the crisis to be accommodated and Hamas’ security intervention to be halted.

Al-Ayyam said the Palestinian government condemned the “irresponsible behavior” of some parties in the Hamas movement toward the protests.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported the government as stating Hamas statements on the crisis “lacked credibility.”
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Hamas forces break up Gaza electricity crisis protest AL ARABIYA

Friday, 13 January 2017

Hamas security forces broke up a protest in northern Gaza on Thursday, an AFP photographer and witnesses said, as thousands took to the streets over an electricity crisis. The demonstrators gathered in the Jabalia refugee camp for a march, with protesters carrying signs and chanting “We want electricity” and other slogans.

They headed to the headquarters of the state-run electricity company in northern Gaza, but Hamas security forces fired live ammunition in the air and dispersed them with batons, the AFP photographer said. A number of marchers threw stones at the building, he added.

Iyad al-Bozum, a spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry, told AFP the march spilt onto the street of the camp and that security forces intervened when “rioting” started. The photographer reported that a policeman hit him in the face with a gun for refusing to hand over his camera. He was arrested and the memory card of his camera confiscated.

He was escorted to a hospital where he was treated with three stitches to his face before being released and his memory card returned. An AP journalist was arrested by plain-clothed Hamas security forces, who forced him to hand over his mobile phones, according to the Foreign Press Association, the foreign media union operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The FPA condemned the “violent behavior in the strongest terms” in a statement, while AFP also complained to the Gaza interior ministry spokesman. Gaza has seen near daily protests in recent days over power shortages. The more than two millions residents of the Gaza Strip have been receiving just four hours a day of electricity since the end of last year, as opposed to alternating eight-hour cycles.

The UN envoy for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, expressed concern over the “tense situation” in Gaza, where residents receive “just a couple of hours of electricity per day in the middle of winter.” “I call for the full respect of the right to freedom of expression, peaceful protest and assembly in Gaza,” he said in a statement. “All responsible authorities must cooperate to resolve the electricity crisis immediately.”

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/01/13/Hamas-forces-break-up-Gaza-electricity-crisis-protest-.html
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Hamas, Fatah blame each other for worsening crisis in Gaza MAAN

Jan. 13, 2017 9:28 P.M.

GAZA (Ma’an) – Following Duhr (afternoon) prayers on Friday, Hamas organized a march in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip to protest the Palestinian Authority (PA), calling the power crisis a “conspiracy to cut electricity,” and a concerted move to “tighten the siege” on the coastal enclave, as rivals Hamas and Fatah have continued to point blame at one another for the worsening situation in Gaza.

The march was organized amid a deepening electricity crisis in the besieged enclave, leaving many of Gaza’s some 2 million residents with only three hours of electricity in between 12-hour power cuts.

The electricity crisis has caused protests to erupt over the past two days, as Hamas’ security forces have been accused of assaulting journalists and restricting the freedom of expression of demonstrators.

During the Hamas-led march on Friday, protesters set fire to photos of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

Earlier on Friday, the Hamas movement released a statement holding the Fatah-dominated PA and Abbas responsible for the dire electricity crisis in the Gaza Strip. Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhum claimed that the ongoing crisis was “intentional” and aimed “to close the siege on Gaza and create chaos.”

Hamas leader, Musheer al-Masri said that the Friday march was launched to highlight the PA’s betrayal of the Palestinian resistance and of the Palestinians in Gaza, reiterating the movement’s position that Abbas and Hamdallah were responsible for the suffering in Gaza, referring both to the decade-long Israeli-imposed siege and the ongoing electricity crisis.

“The PA charges Gaza $120 million of taxes, in which $70 million is paid to its employees, while the rest of the $50 million goes straight into the PA’s pocket,” al-Masri said during the march.

Al-Masri called upon all Arabs, Muslims, and Palestinians to uphold their responsibilities to the Gaza Strip, underscoring that the Hamas movement would not accept conditions resting on the recognition of Israel as a state, returning Gaza to the PA, or abandoning the resistance to end the Israeli blockade on the small Palestinian territory.

Al-Masri added that the PA should continue its responsibilities towards the Gaza Strip and manage the deepening electricity shortages.

Meanwhile, the head of Fatah’s media department, Muner al-Jaghoub, responded to Hamas’ blaming of the crisis on Fatah, saying that Hamas would not be successful in politicizing its reaction to the electricity crisis, and it would “not be able to escape out of the current crisis the movement has caused.”

Al-Jaghoub added that the Palestinian people “are fed up” with Hamas’ actions.

“The Palestinian people in Gaza have been patient for a very long time with Hamas’ actions, hoping that the movement would stand up for its people” al-Jaghoub said. “But Palestinians are fed up with Hamas and are now demanding freedom and dignity after the many crises they have lived through during Hamas’ rule.”

Responding to Hamas officials and supporters burning photos of Abbas and Hamdallah, al-Jaghoub called the act “funny to watch,” adding that perhaps the group thinks this move can “light up thousands of homes across Gaza.”

He also highlighted that the Palestinians protesting over the previous days have been “normal citizens” who are not strongly affiliated with any political party, and are instead simply demanding a serious solution to Gaza’s critical electricity shortage.

PA spokesperson Yousif al-Mahmoud also released a statement on Friday condemning what he referred to as Hamas’ “irresponsible behavior,” and adding that it was an “odd reaction” to the situation.

Al-Mahmoud said that Hamas’ accusations “lacked credibility,” and exposed the movements “deflection of responsibility” amid the crisis.

Reiterating al-Jaghoub’s remarks, al-Mahmoud said that the Palestinians in Gaza have been “living in patience,” amid a devastating Israeli siege coupled with “Hamas’ grip.” Hamas would only start supporting and caring about the Palestinians in Gaza when it “gets out of the way of the Palestinian government, so that it can conduct its responsibilities to the Palestinians in Gaza,” he added.

The “main reason behind the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza,” al-Mahmoud continued, “is the Israeli occupation which Palestinian political parties take advantage of in order to control the Gaza Strip, instead of responding to the efforts of ending the conflict and reuniting the Palestinian people under the leadership of Abbas.”

Despite these statements, according to a poll released last month by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR), at least 64 percent of Palestinians support the resignation of Abbas. In the Gaza Strip, the number of respondents who called for Abbas’ resignation soared to 72 percent.

Al-Mahmoud also stressed that the PA was “conducting efforts” to alleviate the suffering in Gaza, and has continued to spend “more than a billion dollars on energy supplies for Gaza annually,” adding that Hamas uses the funds for its own interests, while the Palestinian people “drown in crisis,” mirroring the same accusation Hamas threw at the Fatah movement.

Protests erupted in the besieged Gaza Strip on Wednesday, following an announcement by Gaza’s power authority that most districts of the besieged territory would only receive three-hour intervals of electricity, punctuated by 12-hour power blackouts.

Protesters have called on all relevant authorities to find a permanent solution to the protracted issue, which has seriously affected Palestinians suffering under the nearly decade-long Israeli blockade.

While the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip on Sunday raised hopes for some relief from the power shortages, the frequent power cuts create dangerous environments for Palestinians attempting to keep warm in the winter or needing light during the night, with a number of fires breaking out since the beginning of the year.

Gaza’s usual electricity schedule alternates eight hours of power followed by eight hours without.

Even at full capacity, Egyptian and Israeli electricity grids, together with Gaza’s sole power plant, fail to cover the Gaza Strip’s energy needs.

The power plant has not run at full capacity in years, with Israel’s crippling blockade severely limiting fuel imports into the coastal enclave.

The enclave’s severe electricity shortages over the years have exacerbated the already dire living conditions in the small Palestinian territory.

War has also taken its toll, and during Israel’s 50-day offensive on Gaza in 2014, the power plant was targeted, completely knocking it out of commission.

The UN has warned that the Gaza Strip would become uninhabitable for residents by 2020, pointing to the devastation of war and nearly a decade of Israel’s blockade.

Meanwhile, Fatah and Hamas have been embroiled in conflict since Hamas’ election victory in 2006 elections in the Gaza Strip, which erupted into a violent conflict between the two movements as both attempted to consolidate control over the territory.

Despite numerous attempts at reconciling the groups, Palestinian leadership has repeatedly failed to follow through on promises of reconciliation and holding of long-overdue elections, as both movements have frequently blamed each other for numerous political failures.

http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=774905
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Power authority says Gaza has access to less than half of electricity needs MAAN

Jan. 12, 2017 10:42 A.M.
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The besieged Gaza Strip is currently receiving less than half of the electricity it needs, Gaza power authority deputy chief Thafer Melhem said on Wednesday.

In an interview with the official channel Palestine TV, Melhem said that the blockaded enclave was only provided with 200 megawatts of electricity, only 45 percent of the 450 megawatts needed to fully supply power to Gaza.

Melhem said that the severe electricity shortage was not only due to fuel shortages, but also to ongoing tensions with Israeli authorities on a number of issues, notably efforts to improve Gaza’s only power plant.

The official added that expansion of power lines coming from both Israel and Egypt could help alleviate the issue, as well as using natural gas instead of diesel to produce electricity.

Meanwhile, the Islamic and National Forces organized a march to denounce the electricity crisis on Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip.

Protesters called on all relevant authorities to find a permanent solution to the protracted issue, which has seriously affected Palestinians suffering under the nearly decade-long Israeli blockade.

Gaza residents have struggled under ever-growing daily power cuts during the cold winter months.

In a statement released Saturday, Gaza’s electricity company said that most districts of the small Palestinian territory were only receiving power for three-hour intervals in between 12-hour power cuts, due to severe fuel shortages.

The statement added that out of the 600 megawatts of power needed in the enclave, less than 150 megawatts were available.

While the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip on Sunday raised hopes for some relief from the power shortages, the deepening electricity crisis has sparked a number of protests in recent days.

The power cuts create dangerous environments for Palestinians attempting to keep warm in the winter or needing light during the night, with a number of fires breaking out since the beginning of the year.

Gaza’s usual electricity schedule alternates eight hours of power followed by eight hours without.

Even at full capacity, Egyptian and Israeli electricity grids, together with Gaza’s sole power plant, fail to cover the Gaza Strip’s energy needs.

The power plant has not run at full capacity in years, with Israel’s crippling blockade severely limiting fuel imports into the coastal enclave.

The enclave’s severe electricity shortages over the years have exacerbated the already dire living conditions in the small Palestinian territory.

War has also taken its toll, and during Israel’s 50-day offensive on Gaza in 2014, the power plant was targeted, completely knocking it out of commission.

The UN has warned that the Gaza Strip would become uninhabitable for residents by 2020, pointing to the devastation of war and nearly a decade of Israel’s blockade.

http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=774880
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Energy crisis leaves Gaza with barely 4 hours of power a day AL ARABIYA

Thursday, 12 January 2017

For weeks, Gazans have been making do with less than half their usual electricity supply – barely a few hours a day – with no sign of the shortages alleviating anytime soon, fuelling distress and frustration among the population.

Normally, Gaza’s power alternates on eight-hour cycles, with generators providing electricity to those that can afford it in the down times. But since late last year, there have been only three or four hours of electricity a day in total.

The costs of running generators have spiraled. People are trying to light and heat their homes with candles or by burning scrap wood. Families wake in the middle of the night, when the power sometimes comes on, to take showers or wash clothes.

“We live like rats,” said Mazen Abu Reyala, an unemployed fisherman and father of five, sitting around a primitive stove that he uses to warm his house. “Should I wait until we get burned? Or should I wait to return home and see that my children burned themselves because they lit candles.”

On Thursday clashes with police erupted in the Jabalya refugee camp after thousands of people gathered to protest the power shortage. Demonstrators hurled stones and sounds of gun shots were heard.

A police spokesman said forces were trying to prevent the crowd from storming the offices of the power company.

The cause of the shortage is on the one hand simple and on the other complicated, with some citizens blaming Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, Hamas officials blaming the rival Palestinian Authority, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and still others pointing the finger at Israel.

The simple explanation is that Gaza requires 450-500 MegaWatts of power a day but is receiving barely a third of that. About 30 MW produced by its own ageing power plant, 30 MW imported from Egypt and 120 MW supplied from Israel.

With temperatures dropping to four or five degrees centigrade at night, people are trying to run electric heaters and radiators, driving up power demand.

The local power plant, which was heavily damaged by Israeli bombing during a war in 2006 and remains only at about half of potential capacity, could produce slightly more, but there are not enough funds to buy fuel to boost output.

With unpaid consumer bills of around $1 billion, the power company is not in a position to seek more credit. Officials say they need $500 million to rehabilitate the power network. But with Israel and Egypt maintaining a tight blockade on Gaza, getting replacement parts is not even that straight forward.

The Palestinian Authority, which pays for power supplied by Israel and Egypt, normally transfers fuel to Gaza and exempts it from most taxes. But because of its own financial constraints, it is no longer offsetting all the tax, angering Hamas.

Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Hamas was open to solutions and accused the Palestinian Authority of using the crisis as a mean to “damage Hamas’s image and sanction Gaza’s people”.

Israel’s electricity company could supply more power, and has provisions in place to do so, but it has not been paid for all the electricity it has supplied in the past and wants financial guarantees before it delivers more.

Gaza’s population of two million is growing increasingly angry, leading to protests.

Adel Al-Mashwakhy, a local comedian, was detained on Wednesday, hours after posting a video on Facebook criticizing Hamas for the shortages. The video was soon watched 180,000 times.

“There is no work, no crossings, no food, no water to drink and also there is no electricity,” he says in the video.

“Enough Hamas. Enough, enough, enough. We want electricity, we want electricity, we want electricity.”

At night, Gaza is pitch black, with no street lights or electricity in most homes. On street corners, makeshift fires can be seen burning, with small crowds gathered for warmth.

The noise of generators can be heard from some factories and wealthier households, but most cannot afford to run diesel generators 20 hours a day.

Bakery owner Haitham Badra said he had suffered huge losses because he had to buy more fuel for generators.

“We used to buy 1,500 liters of diesel week. Now we have to buy 4,000 liters at a cost of 20,000 shekels ($5,250) a week,” said Badra. “If the crisis continues much longer, all bakeries and restaurants in Gaza will collapse.”

Tareq Lubbad, spokesman of the power company, said Gaza normally needed 450 MW a day, but that had increased due to high winter demand. He warned of deeper cuts to come.

“If no substantial solutions are found the crisis will escalate and hours without power will increase,” he said.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2017/01/12/Energy-crisis-leaves-Gaza-with-barely-4-hours-of-power-a-day.html