Last update - 23:23 19/09/2007 UN chief: Cutting off fuel to Gaza is violation of international law By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel on Wednesday to
reconsider its decision to declare the Gaza Strip a hostile territory, warning that any cutoff of vital services would violate international law and punish the already suffering civilian population.

In one of his toughest statements aimed at Israel since taking the reins of the UN on January 1, Ban said he was very concerned at the Israeli government's declaration earlier Wednesday and its announced intent to interrupt essential services such as electricity and fuel to the civilian population.
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"Such a step would be contrary to Israel's obligations towards the civilian population under international humanitarian and human rights law," he said.

"I call for Israel to reconsider this decision," the secretary-general said in a statement read by UN spokeswoman Michele Montas.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet on Wednesday voted to declare the Gaza Strip a "hostile territory," approving among other things the disruption of power and fuel supplies to the Strip, as a response to the ongoing Qassam rocket fire at Israeli communities.

The ministers decided, however, not to disrupt Gaza's water supply.

The security cabinet unanimously approved a number of sanctions to be imposed on the Gaza Strip should the rocket fire on southern Israel continue. The steps are designed to create "civilian levers" that will pressure Gaza's Hamas rulers to bring the rocket fire to a halt.

A statement released by the Prime Minister's Office after the meeting said that Hamas bore responsibility for the "hostile activity" emanating from the territory where the Islamic movement had seized power in June.

"Hamas is a terrorist organization that has taken control of the Gaza Strip and turned it into hostile territory," the statement said. "This organization engages in hostile activity against the State of Israel and its citizens and bears responsibility for this activity."

"The objective is to weaken Hamas," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during the meeting, according to one participant.

Barak also said that Israel is moving closer to a large-scale military operation in Gaza. "Every day that passes brings us closer to an operation in Gaza," Barak was quoted as saying. He said an array of options would be considered before a major invasion.

The PMO statement also said that there would be restrictions on "the passage of various goods to the Gaza Strip," but stressed that all steps "will be enacted following a legal examination, while taking into account both the humanitarian aspects relevant to the Gaza Strip and the intention to avoid a humanitarian crisis."

Sanctions to be imposed on Gaza in stages
The sanctions will be imposed on the Gaza Strip in stages, with Israel responding to rocket fire by disrupting electricity during the first stage.

The decision to disrupt Gaza's power supply was in part based on the fact that the electricity is used to power the metal workshops in which Qassam rockets are manufactured.

Participants in the security cabinet meeting told The Associated Press, however, that no decision had been made on when to begin cutting electricity.

According to Israeli and Palestinian officials, Gaza's population uses approximately 200 megawatts of electricity, out of which 120 are provided directly from Israeli power lines, 17 are delivered from Egypt and 65 are produced at a plant in Gaza.

The disruption of the fuel supply will be delayed until the second stage, as the decision is still subject to the findings of an ongoing legal examination of the contracts between the National Infrastructure Ministry and the Palestinians.

Subject to the legal examination, the ministers decided to completely cut off the fuel supply to the Gaza Strip, with the exception of humanitarian needs. For instance, Israel will continue to supply Gaza hospitals with the necessary fuel to power their generators.

In addition, the crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip will further reduce operations. The crossings will only allow in food and medical supplies, and other goods, such as water pipes that are also used to manufacture Qassams, will not be let in. Human traffic at the crossings will be brought to a complete halt.

Israel will reduce ties with the Strip to a bare minimum. "This [decision] allows Israel to order a number of administrative sanctions against the Gaza Strip, of course on condition they don't cross the red line in terms of inflicting humanitarian damage," said Public Security Minister Avi Dichter.

The ministers determined that the steps will be "implemented in accordance with formal legal position papers and the humanitarian situation in the field."

The ministers stressed that Hamas is the organization in charge in Gaza, and that security forces will continue operating against Hamas and other militant groups.

Shas minister Yitzhak Cohen said during the meeting that the steps Israel must make it clear that to every Palestinian action, there is an immediate Israeli reaction against Gaza.

"The Gaza power switch should be directly linked to the rocket's tail," he said.

Meanwhile, Israel Radio reported that deposed Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas met early Wednesday with Islamic Jihad leaders, in an attempt to convince them to halt the rocket fire.

Hamas denounces curbs on Gaza as 'declaration of war'
Hamas denounced the security cabinet's decision and the sanctions as a "declaration of war."

"They aim to starve our people and force them to accept humiliating formulas that could emerge from the so-called November peace conference," said Hamas spokesman Barhoum, referring to a U.S.-sponsored meeting expected to be held in two months.

"It is a declaration of war and continues the criminal, terrorist Zionist actions against our people."

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's plan, calling it an oppressive decision.

"This oppressive decision will only strengthen the choking embargo imposed on 1.5 million people in the Gaza Strip, increase their suffering and deepen their tragedy," Abbas' office said in a statement.

"It is collective punishment against the people of Gaza, and discourages serious political discussion," said Ashraf Ajrami, a minister in Abbas' government.

"We are going to ask the Americans to pressure Israel to refrain from taking such action," added Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki

Shas: Tie power switch to rocket's tail
Shas minister Yitzhak Cohen said during the meeting that the steps Israel must make it clear that to every Palestinian action, there is an immediate Israeli reaction against Gaza.

"The Gaza power switch should be directly linked to the rocket's tail," he said.

But Public Security Minister Avi Dichter indicated that the government intended to show a measure of restraint in applying the restrictions. "This [decision] allows Israel to order a number of administrative sanctions against the Gaza Strip, of course on condition they don't cross the red line in terms of inflicting humanitarian damage," Dichter said.

In response to the cabinet's decision, Arab MK Taleb El-Sana (Ra'am Ta'al) said, "Israel is defining the occupied as a hostile territory in order to excuse itself from war crimes."

Jews are suffering from the Nazi-Palestinian society in Gaza it is time for them to suffer in return.