A Palestinian official said on Wednesday that the Gaza Strip was out of petrol, describing the situation as "on the verge of a crisis."
"As of today (Wednesday) there is no more gasoline in the Gaza Strip. This applies to all kinds of gas, diesel and gasoline and gas-oil," Luieh Arandas, head of the Palestinian Authority's petroleum commission, told AFP.
Israel, which controls most of the resources used by the Palestinians, has slapped a blockade on the Palestinian territories since the start of the almost eight-week Palestinian uprising.
"Since last Thursday, Israel has refused to allow the flow of fuel to Gaza," he added. "We are on the verge of a crisis, especially for hospitals, bakeries and ambulances."
Mohsen al-Khazindar, a gas distributor in Gaza strip, told AFP that most gas stations had closed down. Israel could also cut off electricity throughout the territories, interrupt all Palestinian lines of communication with the outside world and make mobile phones go silent.
The Gaza Strip depends on Israel for 85 percent of its imports, while the blockade has prevented some 35,000 Palestinians from the area from going into the Jewish state to work. The United Nations estimates that the blockade is stopping 3.4 million dollars each day from going into the territories.—AFP.
©--Agence France Presse.
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
