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Egypt adds voice to Gaza outcry UN says Gaza facing food shortage
(40 minutes later)
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has telephoned the Israeli prime minister to warn him of the humanitarian effects of Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. UN food aid to about 860,000 people in the Gaza Strip will have to be suspended within days if Israel's blockade continues, the UN has warned.
In the call, Mr Mubarak "stressed the need to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people", the official Mena news agency reported. Spokesman Christopher Gunness said the UN relief agency UNWRA was running short of nylon for plastic bags and fuel for vehicles and generators.
The Arab League is holding an emergency session and the EU has condemned the "collective punishment" in Gaza. Egypt has urged Israel to lift its border closure and the crisis is being discussed by the Arab League.
The territory went dark on Sunday when the only power plant was shut down. The EU says Israel is "collectively punishing" the Hamas-run territory.
Factory managers said they had no fuel left after Israel cut off supplies of some types of fuel and closed border crossings to Gaza on Friday. Israel closed Gaza's borders last Thursday in response to rocket attacks by Gaza-based militants.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert insists he will not allow Gaza to suffer a humanitarian crisis but equally will not allow the lives of its 1.5m inhabitants to be "pleasant and comfortable". With fuel supplies hit drastically by the blockade, Gaza's only power plant was shut down on Sunday night.
Israel, which is still providing 60% of Gaza's power, says if Hamas stops rocket attacks on Israel, the situation will return to normal. Israel is still providing 60% of Gaza's power needs. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that while Israel does not want to provoke a humanitarian crisis, it does want to make people's lives "uncomfortable".
Shuttered shops Bread and rockets
On Monday morning residents awoke to closed petrol stations and shuttered bakeries unable to bake bread - a staple food in Gaza.On Monday morning residents awoke to closed petrol stations and shuttered bakeries unable to bake bread - a staple food in Gaza.
I have made clear that I am against this collective punishment of the people of Gaza Benita Ferrero-Waldner,EU external relations commissioner I have made clear that I am against this collective punishment of the people of Gaza Benita Ferrero-Waldner,EU external relations commissioner class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7200194.stm">Propaganda battle
Generators are being used to maintain critical power supplies to hospitals but there are fears that supplies of diesel could soon run out.Generators are being used to maintain critical power supplies to hospitals but there are fears that supplies of diesel could soon run out.
Egypt supplies some 8% of electricity to Gaza, and on Monday President Mubarak telephoned Prime Minister Olmert to warn him about the "deteriorating humanitarian situation resulting from the blockade", Mena reported. Mr Olmert insists the Israeli action is limited to cutting fuel supplies for vehicles.
Mr Mubarak also raised the possibility of reopening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which Israel insists should remain closed.
GAZA'S ELECTRICITY SOURCES Gaza uses 200 megawatts of electricityIsrael supplies 60% of this, and Egypt 8%The remaining 32% is produced by Gaza's power stationIsrael supplies the fuel oil for the Gaza power station Profile: Gaza Strip
His phone call followed an appeal for international action from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and a direct plea to Egyptian ministers from Hamas's exiled political leader, Khalid Meshaal.
However, Mr Olmert stood firm in comments following his conversation with Mr Mubarak.
He said he would "not allow" a humanitarian crisis, but insisted the Israeli action was limited to cutting fuel supplies for vehicles.
"As far as I'm concerned, all the residents of Gaza can walk and have no fuel for their cars, because they have a murderous terrorist regime that doesn't allow people in the south of Israel to live in peace," he said."As far as I'm concerned, all the residents of Gaza can walk and have no fuel for their cars, because they have a murderous terrorist regime that doesn't allow people in the south of Israel to live in peace," he said.
Earlier, an Israeli official accused Hamas of closing the power plant as a "ploy to attract international sympathy". Israeli officials have accused Hamas of closing the territory's only power plant as a ploy to attract international sympathy.
However, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told AFP news agency it would be forced to halt food aid to hundreds of thousands of Gazans within days if the blockade continued. Generators are supplying critical power to hospitals
'Collective punishment' After decades of occupation, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, but it still controls the territory's borders and supplies.
Israel's actions have also prompted protests from the European Union and neighbouring Arab states. Hamas - branded a terrorist organisation by the Israel, the US and the EU - has been in charge of Gaza since June, when it drove out rivals Fatah.
"I have made clear that I am against this collective punishment of the people of Gaza," said the EU's external relations commissioner, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, in a statement. More than 200 rockets and mortars have hit Israel from Gaza since an Israeli operation against militants on Tuesday that left 18 Palestinians dead, the Israeli military says.
Foreign concern
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak telephoned Mr Olmert to warn him of the humanitarian effects of the blockade, and urged him to "stop the Israeli aggression".
Israel says border closures will stop if the rocket attacks endIsrael says border closures will stop if the rocket attacks end
He also raised the possibility of reopening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which Israel insists should remain closed.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas earlier issued a similar appeal to Israel and Hamas's exiled political leader, Khalid Meshaal, called on Egypt to bring pressure to bear.
Arab League officials gathered in Cairo for an emergency meeting and Iran called on foreign ministers of Islamic states to convene on the crisis.
But the BBC's Ian Pannell reports from Cairo that, other than pushing for humanitarian relief, it remains unclear what measures the League could take.
The most significant action would be to reopen Gaza's crossing into Egypt - but given the sensitivity of this area, it would probably prove too controversial a step for the Egyptian government, our correspondent says.
EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she was "against this collective punishment of the people of Gaza".
She urged Israeli authorities to restart fuel supplies to the territory, and to reopen border crossings for both humanitarian and commercial supplies.She urged Israeli authorities to restart fuel supplies to the territory, and to reopen border crossings for both humanitarian and commercial supplies.
She said neither the Israeli blockade nor air strikes on Gaza would prevent rocket attacks, but only a "credible political agreement".She said neither the Israeli blockade nor air strikes on Gaza would prevent rocket attacks, but only a "credible political agreement".
EU-funded fuel for the Gaza power plant is being held at the Nahal Oz crossing, awaiting Israel's decision on resuming supplies, Reuters news agency reported. EU-funded fuel for the Gaza power plant is being held at the Nahal Oz crossing, awaiting Israel's decision on resuming supplies, Reuters news agency reports.
The Arab League is holding an emergency session to discuss the situation, but the BBC's Ian Pannell in Cairo says other than pushing for humanitarian relief it remains unclear what measures the group could take.
The most significant action would be to reopen the crossing into Egypt - but given the sensitivity of this area, it would probably prove too controversial a step for the Egyptian government, he says.
More than 200 rockets and mortars have hit Israel from Gaza since an Israeli operation against militants on Tuesday that left 18 Palestinians dead, the military says.
After decades of occupation, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, but it still controls the territory's borders and supplies.
Hamas - branded a terrorist organisation by the Israel, the US and the EU - has been in charge of Gaza since June, when it drove out rivals Fatah.
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