Region | Palestinian Territories

Arabs hold crisis talks over Gaza

Arab League officials gather for an emergency meeting as more than one million Gazans suffer from power cut.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 13:05 January 21, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Gaza's only power plant shut down on Sunday for lack of fuel, plunging the coastal strip into darkness.
  • Image Credit: AP
Image 1 of 5
12345

Cairo: Arab League officials gathered for an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday as a power cut disrupted lives and businesses in Gaza.

Bread shops and gas stations were shut while some hospitals have had to rely on generators for operations, officials said.

The Arab League is expected to ask the international community to pressure Israel into lifting its lockdown of Gaza, said Assistant Secretary General Ahmed bin Hilli.

Gaza's only power plant shut down on Sunday for lack of fuel, plunging the coastal strip and the homes of its 1.5 million residents into total darkness.

Officials have warned of a possible humanitarian crisis in the aid-dependent territory, whose border has been shut by Israel in response to continued Palestinian rocket fire.

Health Ministry official Moaiya Hassanain warned that the fuel cut would cause a health catastrophe.

"We have the choice to either cut electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients or stop operating rooms," he said.

Hamas claimed that five people had died at hospitals because of the power outage. Health officials denied this.

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

Related Articles

  1. Israel confirms Hezbollah claim

    Israel confirms Hezbollah has soldiers' body parts

  2. Abbas calls for help after Gaza fuel cut

    Abbas calls for help after Gaza fuel cut

    Abbas appeals for help after Gaza fuel cut

  3. Arab ties offer for Israel treaty

    Arab ties offer for Israel treaty

    Saudis offer Arab ties for Israel peace treaty

  4. Gaza power plant begins shutting down

    Gaza power plant begins shutting down

    Gaza power plant begins shutting down

  5. Israel continues to pound Gaza

    Israel continues to pound Gaza

    More Hamas fighters killed as Israel continues to pound Gaza

  6. Israel heaps more misery on Gazans

    Israel heaps more misery on Gazans

    Israel heaps more misery on Gazans

More from Palestinian Territories

  1. Abbas likely to remain influential even if he quits

  2. Gaza war report to come before Security Council

  3. Lieberman's 'lies' draw sharp rebuke

  4. Israel rejects UN vote approving Gaza report

All articles in Palestinian territories

More from Region

Gulf News
Popular in News
News Editor's choice