The only power plant in the Gaza Strip may be shut down soon as fuel supplies are depleting amid an ongoing Israeli aggression on the coastal enclave for the fifth day. Since the escalation began on Tuesday, Israel has closed its crossings with Gaza, including the Erez crossing for individuals and the Karam Abu Salam commercial crossing. Israeli authorities have closed all crossings into Gaza since Tuesday, cutting off access for the fuel trucks that supply the plant. The restrictions are an intensification of a siege that has been in place since 2007. The blockade has a serious impact on living standards for residents of impoverished Gaza, and rights groups have slammed it as a form of illegal collective punishment. Already facing cuts that leave them with just 10 hours of electricity a day, residents of Gaza would face further blackouts if the plant stopped operating, according to the Presidential Committee to Coordinate the Entry of Fuel and Goods into Gaza. A shutdown of Gaza’s only power plant would have a grave impact on the daily life of over two million people and vital services in the Strip.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA