Of all the possible methods of dealing with Hamas, Israel’s slow and calculated suffocation of Gaza is perhaps the most sickening. Ostensibly aimed at weakening the Islamist government’s power in Gaza, the current fuel cuts constitute a bold-faced form of collective punishment—a way of destroying Gaza without having to pull a trigger.

Gaza’s fuel supplies come entirely from Israel… Naturally, Israel does not allow Gaza to seek such supplies elsewhere, which is why the recent pontificatons from Israeli politicians about ’supplying energy to the enemy’ are so disingenuous. Nevertheless, the closure of Gaza’s borders has blocked vital fuel supplies and has pushed Gaza’s only power-plant to the brink of closure, threatening the functionality of everything from the (already) limited medical capabilities, to the distribution of food by aid-workers.

Gazans have been living with fuel cutbacks, power outages and shortages of supplies for months, but the power plant’s closure would mean the loss of a third of the electricity for the territory’s residents. It would largely affect the 400,000 people in Gaza City, the territory’s main population center. <<< more

Miko Zafarti, chairman of the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) workers committee, apparently believes that the Palestinians have invented an imaginary crisis:

“It is simply offensive and arrogant for them to claim that there is shortage,” Zarfati said. <<< more

Zafarti also added, “Israel, on the other hand, only ever operates according to the highest moral standards, especially when deciding to cut fuel supplies to impoverished refugees and and a population composed of a majority of children. This is neither offensive nor arrogant.”

Olmert claims that:

“[Israel] will provide the [Gazan] population with everything needed to prevent a crisis, but we will not supply luxuries that would make life more comfortable,” he added. <<< more

These “luxuries” include such excesses as… food, clean water, functioning health care, freedom of movement, respect for democratically-elected leaders, safe waste disposal, markets for goods, respect for human rights, etc.