Abbas appeals for help after Gaza fuel cut

Gaza: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the international community to intervene over Israeli-influenced power cuts in Gaza.

Gaza City was left without power on Sunday after the main Gaza power plant was shut down over lack of fuel. Officials estimate that as many as one million people were affected.

Thousands of residents staged a candle-lit march through Gaza City after the blackout.

Homes, hospitals and factories were without electricity, and health officials said that some hospitals have had to rely on generators for operations.

Abbas called on Israel to "end its blockade of Gaza immediately and allow the entry of fuel to facilitate the lives of the innocent".

He also called for a "special meeting" of foreign ministers of the Arab League to discuss the crisis and threatened to raise the matter with the UN Security Council.

In recent months the Gaza Strip has been plagued with power outages since Israel began limiting its fuel supplies in response to continuing rocket attacks from Gaza.

Critics say the fuel reductions amount to illegal "collective punishment" against largely aid-dependent Gaza.