Israel threatens to cut off power, water to Gaza

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israel warned on Saturday that it would cut the supply of water and electricity to the Gaza Strip if rival Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas form a unity government.

"The foreign ministry is examining the possibility of Israel pulling out of the Gaza Strip in terms of infrastructure," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told the daily Yediot Aharonot website.

A unity government deal "would transform the Palestinian Authority into a terrorist authority and would put an end to any hope for a peace agreement" with Israel, said Ayalon, who is also a Knesset deputy from the nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party.
On Friday, Israeli ministers decided to maintain a freeze on the transfer of tens of millions of dollars in tax monies to the Palestinian Authority hours after Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas held top-level talks with Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal at which they announced a new era of "partnership."

The transfer of funds, which make up a large percentage of the authority's monthly budget, was frozen on November 1 as a punitive measure after the Palestinians won full membership of the UN cultural organisation.

"If the Palestinians have signed an agreement over a unity government, it would make a transfer of funds impossible," a senior government official told AFP.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gFjUiR1UITcwjb-zi7X0UoH6CHIg?docId=CNG.3da26ae4096a7bf3ae955737adbba454.3c1

[ZombieHorde]

1. Why is Israel against a unity government?

Why are they going to fuck over so many innocents to stop people from unifying?

[mitchtv]

2. hmmm Collective punishment

it appears

[Meeker Morgan]

3. They supply water and power to people who are sworn to kill them, then they stop.

Right?

[holdencaufield]

4. Why...

... doesn't their water and power come from their bosom buddies in Egypt -- with whom they share a border? Up until 1967 -- Gaza WAS Egypt.

[King_David]

5. thanks for postibg ,this reality.

:thumbsup:

[Little Tich]

6. They wouldn't dare.

The Gaza strip is totally dependent on Israel for water, the eventual cutoff would cause civilian suffering on a scale hitherto unseen in the strip. It would force intervention by the international community in terms of catastrophe aid, like the famine in East Africa. The UNSC would probably produce resolutions with teeth against such a move, with the the US being morally unable to veto a move to stop a humanitarian catastrophe. I think Danny Ayalon is just blowing air.