EU Moves to End Gaza Power Cuts

The European Union today agreed to resume fuel payments for the main power station in Gaza after days of blackouts that left thousands of Palestinians sweltering and in darkness.

Brussels suspended funding for Gaza's electricity generators on Sunday amid suspicions that the Islamist movement Hamas, which took power in the territory in June, was pocketing electricity revenue.

Deprived of EU-funded fuel supplied by Israeli, the plant cut off power to large parts of the Gaza strip, causing widespread blackouts and hardship.

"In agreement with the Palestinian Authority, the (European) commission will resume Wednesday, on a provisional basis, deliveries of fuel to the Gaza power plant," said an EU statement.

The power shortages began on Sunday after Israel closed a crossing with Gaza where fuel is carried in, citing security threats. Israel reopened the crossing on Sunday but there were no fuel shipments due to the lack of funding.

At least half of Gaza's 1.4m residents were left in the dark and without fans or air conditioning as temperatures soared to 34C (95F). The situation left Hamas with a major crisis two months after it seized control in Gaza from Fatah forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas.

Without enough power to keep pumps going, water authorities have begun rationing today. Shops in Gaza City's main market have been using noisy, smoky generators to run their lights, and families left without refrigeration have been buying food every few hours. Streets have been jammed with cars because of the lack of traffic lights.

Israeli and Egyptian utilities that power the rest of Gaza have stepped up their output, but the shortage has still left Gazans in affected areas without power for about 20 hours a day.

Hamas has denied skimming electricity revenues, accusing the Abbas government in the West Bank of concocting the allegations to try and discredit it.