- Title: GAZA: Palestinians voice growing distress, as Israel keeps Gaza crossings closed
- Date: 23rd November 2008
- Summary: WOMAN OPENING REFRIGERATOR
- Embargoed: 8th December 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA3AYAWGTTJGQL8971FWE92KDVC
- Story Text: Residents of the Gaza Strip are suffering a lack of supplies as Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak orders Gaza crossings to remain closed.
Residents of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip voiced deepening distress on Sunday (November 23) as Israel left all crossings into the coastal territory closed.
Israel closed its border crossings with Gaza on November 4, cutting food and fuel supplies, when its troops raided the coastal enclave to destroy what the army described as a tunnel built by militants to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The raid was followed by militant rocket and mortar fire.
In Gaza's main market, men and women on their morning shopping said it was getting harder to obtain fuel and electricity.
"I don't have fuel, and I don't have electricity. They cut the electricity, no work for anyone. We are living in a bad situation from all sides," said Um Assem Mishal, as she was shopping.
Many bakeries at the Gaza strip have stopped working, owners said it is a result of flour and fuel shortages.
"We have no electricity, we don't have fuel or gas and because there is no gas and the crossings are closed, all these things affected the bakery's work here, all morning people wanted to buy bread," said Adham Samouri, a bakery worker.
At Al Shati refugee camp on the outskirts of Gaza city, residents complained about their living conditions.
"We don't have electricity daily, we also have electricity problems in the Winter. When it rains, the house is full of water and floods.
I ask and call many people to come and see our suffering," said Najwa Abu Ashour from Al shati refugee camp, who hasn't enough supplies to feed her children.
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak ordered on Saturday night (November 22) the crossings with the coastal strip be kept closed, he said in a statement issued by his office. The statement added that preparations were already underway to open the crossings on Sunday morning, but after militants launched another rocket attack towards southern Israel on Saturday night, preparations were halted.
On Friday (November 21), Palestinian armed groups in Gaza said they will remain committed to the truce with Israel if the Jewish state reciprocates.
Both Israel and Hamas have signalled they want to restore the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, which began on June 19 and calls on Hamas to halt rockets firing and other attacks against the Jewish state.
Over the last two weeks of cross-border fighting, more than a dozen Palestinian militants have been killed and scores of rockets and mortar shells have been launched at Israel. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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