14 dec 2013
Israel will allow the import of 450,000 liters of industrial diesel to Gaza on Sunday morning in order to allow the Strip's sole power plant to begin working again as part of a larger plan to temporarily ease the blockade, an official told Ma'an on Saturday evening.
President of the committee for the import of goods Raed Fattouh confirmed the planned entry of approximately 450,000 liters of industrial diesel on Sunday intended for use at the power station, which has been shut down for lack of fuel since November.
Fattouh told Ma'an that the import comes amidst a major deal that would facilitate the extension of working hours at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza for the next week.
Fattouh said that the step is "the first of its kind" and will extend working hours at the Kerem Shalom crossing for up to 12 hours a day for the next week, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The decision was made to allow the import of of aid and fuel for the residents of the Gaza Strip after the devastation caused by inclement weather to property and agricultural land over the last few days.
The decision comes hours after an UNRWA spokesperson called large swathes of Gaza a "disaster area," and called for the end of the crippling blockade on the coastal enclave.
"A community that has been subjected to one of the longest blockades in human history, whose public health system has been destroyed and where the risk of disease was already rife, must be freed from these man made constraints to deal with the impact of a natural calamity such as this," UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said earlier on Saturday.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
The Gaza Strip has been without a functioning power plant since the beginning of November, when the plant ran out of diesel fuel as a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The plant itself was only reopened last year after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the 2006 assault on the Strip. The power plant generates around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip's electricity supply, while the rest comes from Israel and Egypt.
Until July of this year, the tunnels to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade. The blockade has been in place since 2006, and it has limited imports and exports and led to a major economic decline and wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
In the last year, however, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution.
Gaza Strip energy officials have blamed Egypt for destroying numerous tunnels linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt in recent months. They also blamed the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for charging taxes on fuel too high for Gaza Strip authorities to afford.
President of the committee for the import of goods Raed Fattouh confirmed the planned entry of approximately 450,000 liters of industrial diesel on Sunday intended for use at the power station, which has been shut down for lack of fuel since November.
Fattouh told Ma'an that the import comes amidst a major deal that would facilitate the extension of working hours at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza for the next week.
Fattouh said that the step is "the first of its kind" and will extend working hours at the Kerem Shalom crossing for up to 12 hours a day for the next week, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The decision was made to allow the import of of aid and fuel for the residents of the Gaza Strip after the devastation caused by inclement weather to property and agricultural land over the last few days.
The decision comes hours after an UNRWA spokesperson called large swathes of Gaza a "disaster area," and called for the end of the crippling blockade on the coastal enclave.
"A community that has been subjected to one of the longest blockades in human history, whose public health system has been destroyed and where the risk of disease was already rife, must be freed from these man made constraints to deal with the impact of a natural calamity such as this," UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said earlier on Saturday.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
The Gaza Strip has been without a functioning power plant since the beginning of November, when the plant ran out of diesel fuel as a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The plant itself was only reopened last year after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the 2006 assault on the Strip. The power plant generates around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip's electricity supply, while the rest comes from Israel and Egypt.
Until July of this year, the tunnels to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade. The blockade has been in place since 2006, and it has limited imports and exports and led to a major economic decline and wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
In the last year, however, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution.
Gaza Strip energy officials have blamed Egypt for destroying numerous tunnels linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt in recent months. They also blamed the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for charging taxes on fuel too high for Gaza Strip authorities to afford.
A young man in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip died of asphyxiation on Saturday, Gaza-based Palestinian News Agency Safa reported.
Hamza al-Amour, 22, died Saturday of asphyxiation from a fire he was kindling in his room to stay warm, according to medical sources at the European hospital.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Hamza al-Amour, 22, died Saturday of asphyxiation from a fire he was kindling in his room to stay warm, according to medical sources at the European hospital.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Palestinian Authority officials have decided to keep all government institutions and schools closed again on Sunday as the West Bank struggles to battle historic snowfall and record low temperatures.
The PA Information Office said in a statement on Saturday that in order to "ensure the safety of citizens," all state institutions besides hospital emergency units and the civil defense would remain closed again on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, civil defense forces public relations director Luay Bani Odeh appealed to citizens not to leave their homes in the West Bank as authorities sought to improve road conditions.
The PA Information Office said in a statement on Saturday that in order to "ensure the safety of citizens," all state institutions besides hospital emergency units and the civil defense would remain closed again on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, civil defense forces public relations director Luay Bani Odeh appealed to citizens not to leave their homes in the West Bank as authorities sought to improve road conditions.
UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness said that large regions of the Gaza Strip are a "disaster area" and called on the world community to lift the Israeli blockade in order to allow recovery efforts to proceed, in a statement sent to Ma'an.
"Large swathes of northern Gaza are a disaster area with water as far as the eye can see. Areas around Jabalia have become a massive lake with two meter high waters engulfing homes and stranding thousands," the statement read.
"Four thousand UNRWA workers are battling the floods and have evacuated hundreds of families to UNRWA facilities. Our sanitation, manintenance workers, social workers and medical staff have been working through the night and round the clock to assist the most vulnerable, the old, the sick, children and women," the statement continued.
"We have distributed five thousand of litres of fuel to local pumping stations, but the situation is dire and with the flood waters rising, the risk of water borne disease can only increase. This is a terrible situation which can only get worse before it gets better," it added, referring to major fuel shortages across the Gaza Strip that have dramatically worsened in the last few months.
Gunness also highlighted the need for an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip in order to allow the region recover from the current crisis.
"When all this is over, the world community needs to bring effective pressure to end the blockade of Gaza," he said.
"Any normal community would struggle to recover from this disaster. But a community that has been subjected to one of the longest blockades in human history, whose public health system has been destroyed and where the risk of disease was already rife, must be freed from these man made constraints to deal with the impact of a natural calamity such as this," the statement continued.
"And of course it is the most vulnerable, the women and children, the elderly who wil pay the highest price of failure to end the blockade."
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
The Gaza Strip has been without a functioning power plant since the beginning of November, when the plant ran out of diesel fuel as a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The plant itself was only reopened last year after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the 2006 assault on the Strip. The power plant generates around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip's electricity supply, while the rest comes from Israel and Egypt.
Until July of this year, the tunnels to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade. The blockade has been in place since 2006, and it has limited imports and exports and led to a major economic decline and wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
In the last year, however, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution.
Gaza Strip energy officials have blamed Egypt for destroying numerous tunnels linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt in recent months. They also blamed the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for charging taxes on fuel too high for Gaza Strip authorities to afford.
"Large swathes of northern Gaza are a disaster area with water as far as the eye can see. Areas around Jabalia have become a massive lake with two meter high waters engulfing homes and stranding thousands," the statement read.
"Four thousand UNRWA workers are battling the floods and have evacuated hundreds of families to UNRWA facilities. Our sanitation, manintenance workers, social workers and medical staff have been working through the night and round the clock to assist the most vulnerable, the old, the sick, children and women," the statement continued.
"We have distributed five thousand of litres of fuel to local pumping stations, but the situation is dire and with the flood waters rising, the risk of water borne disease can only increase. This is a terrible situation which can only get worse before it gets better," it added, referring to major fuel shortages across the Gaza Strip that have dramatically worsened in the last few months.
Gunness also highlighted the need for an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip in order to allow the region recover from the current crisis.
"When all this is over, the world community needs to bring effective pressure to end the blockade of Gaza," he said.
"Any normal community would struggle to recover from this disaster. But a community that has been subjected to one of the longest blockades in human history, whose public health system has been destroyed and where the risk of disease was already rife, must be freed from these man made constraints to deal with the impact of a natural calamity such as this," the statement continued.
"And of course it is the most vulnerable, the women and children, the elderly who wil pay the highest price of failure to end the blockade."
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
The Gaza Strip has been without a functioning power plant since the beginning of November, when the plant ran out of diesel fuel as a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The plant itself was only reopened last year after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the 2006 assault on the Strip. The power plant generates around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip's electricity supply, while the rest comes from Israel and Egypt.
Until July of this year, the tunnels to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade. The blockade has been in place since 2006, and it has limited imports and exports and led to a major economic decline and wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
In the last year, however, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution.
Gaza Strip energy officials have blamed Egypt for destroying numerous tunnels linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt in recent months. They also blamed the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for charging taxes on fuel too high for Gaza Strip authorities to afford.
Civil defense forces in the West Bank reported on Saturday evening that at least one person had died and 53 were injured in storm-related incidents over the last four days.
Civil defense forces have assisted in 4,165 storm-related cases since the storm began, rescuing a total of 5,980 people across the region, according to a report released by the public relations and media department of the civil defense forces.
Ramallah and al-Bireh were the hardest hit by storm-related incidents, as 3,027 people involved in 1,586 separate incidents required help in that region.
Hebron was second-hardest hit, with 899 people involved in 790 incidents, including a case where the house of a roof collapsed during the storm.
The report said the condition of roads across the West Bank are all but impassable, and that civil defense crews continue to work to open them.
A large number of the incidents in which the civil defense forces had to intervene involved drivers who became stranded on snowy areas after their cars became stuck.
Civil defense forces public relations director Luay Bani Odeh appealed to citizens not to leave their homes nor to overuse their sockets, stressing the need for caution regarding heating appliances.
He also reminded the public of numbers to call in case of emergency, including 102 for Civil Defense, 101 for Red Crescent, and 100 for the police.
Civil defense forces have assisted in 4,165 storm-related cases since the storm began, rescuing a total of 5,980 people across the region, according to a report released by the public relations and media department of the civil defense forces.
Ramallah and al-Bireh were the hardest hit by storm-related incidents, as 3,027 people involved in 1,586 separate incidents required help in that region.
Hebron was second-hardest hit, with 899 people involved in 790 incidents, including a case where the house of a roof collapsed during the storm.
The report said the condition of roads across the West Bank are all but impassable, and that civil defense crews continue to work to open them.
A large number of the incidents in which the civil defense forces had to intervene involved drivers who became stranded on snowy areas after their cars became stuck.
Civil defense forces public relations director Luay Bani Odeh appealed to citizens not to leave their homes nor to overuse their sockets, stressing the need for caution regarding heating appliances.
He also reminded the public of numbers to call in case of emergency, including 102 for Civil Defense, 101 for Red Crescent, and 100 for the police.
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The Gaza Ministry of Information announced Saturday that the numbers of residents staying in shelters in the besieged coastal enclave had hit 5,000 as streets and homes remain flooded in large swathes of the territory.
Separately, the Gaza Health Ministry said that the number of people injured in storm-related incidents over the last four days throughout Gaza had hit 96 on Saturday, after flooding hit dangerously high levels due to record rainfall on Friday. Gaza's civil defense force media spokesperson Muhammad al-Midna told Ma'an that civil defense teams had successfully evacuated 1,190 people from their homes since the beginning of the storm, |
in addition to pumping water out of flooded homes and rescuing cars trapped on flooded streets.
Al-Midna said that the hardest hit neighborhood was Nafeq Street near Sheikh Redwan, which was inundated with flood water and led to a dramatic rise in water levels in the surrounding areas.
The civil defense forces assisted many local residents in evacuating their homes, he said.
Al-Midna added that the lack of electricity had exacerbated the difficulties faced by Gaza residents as it limited the ability of civil defense forces to pump water from flooded areas.
He highlighted that blackouts of over 12 consecutive hours and the lack of fuel to run generators during those blackouts had effectively crippled the ability of civil defense forces to respond for large periods of time.
On Saturday evening director of the Gaza Ministry of Information Salama Maarouf said in a report that 5,000 Gaza residents had fled their homes for shelters, where Hamas officials were providing many with bedding and other needs.
The Health Ministry had announced earlier in Saturday afternoon that 2,234 individuals from 433 families were staying in shelters, which are primarily located in schools across the Strip.
At that time, they said that many of those arriving were being brought by civil defense forces, who on Saturday continued assisting residents "day and night" in order to help them evacuate their flooded homes.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
The Gaza Strip has been without a functioning power plant since the beginning of November, when the plant ran out of diesel fuel as a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The plant itself was only reopened last year after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the 2006 assault on the Strip. The power plant generates around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip's electricity supply, while the rest comes from Israel and Egypt.
Until July of this year, the tunnels to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade. The blockade has been in place since 2006, and it has limited imports and exports and led to a major economic decline and wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
In the last year, however, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution.
Gaza Strip energy officials have blamed Egypt for destroying numerous tunnels linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt in recent months. They also blamed the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for charging taxes on fuel too high for Gaza Strip authorities to afford.
Al-Midna said that the hardest hit neighborhood was Nafeq Street near Sheikh Redwan, which was inundated with flood water and led to a dramatic rise in water levels in the surrounding areas.
The civil defense forces assisted many local residents in evacuating their homes, he said.
Al-Midna added that the lack of electricity had exacerbated the difficulties faced by Gaza residents as it limited the ability of civil defense forces to pump water from flooded areas.
He highlighted that blackouts of over 12 consecutive hours and the lack of fuel to run generators during those blackouts had effectively crippled the ability of civil defense forces to respond for large periods of time.
On Saturday evening director of the Gaza Ministry of Information Salama Maarouf said in a report that 5,000 Gaza residents had fled their homes for shelters, where Hamas officials were providing many with bedding and other needs.
The Health Ministry had announced earlier in Saturday afternoon that 2,234 individuals from 433 families were staying in shelters, which are primarily located in schools across the Strip.
At that time, they said that many of those arriving were being brought by civil defense forces, who on Saturday continued assisting residents "day and night" in order to help them evacuate their flooded homes.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
The Gaza Strip has been without a functioning power plant since the beginning of November, when the plant ran out of diesel fuel as a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The plant itself was only reopened last year after it was targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the 2006 assault on the Strip. The power plant generates around 30 percent of the Gaza Strip's electricity supply, while the rest comes from Israel and Egypt.
Until July of this year, the tunnels to Egypt provided a vital lifeline for the territory amidst the otherwise crippling Israeli blockade. The blockade has been in place since 2006, and it has limited imports and exports and led to a major economic decline and wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
In the last year, however, the situation had greatly improved, as the tunnels to Egypt witnessed a brisk trade following the Egyptian Revolution.
Gaza Strip energy officials have blamed Egypt for destroying numerous tunnels linking the Gaza Strip and Egypt in recent months. They also blamed the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority for charging taxes on fuel too high for Gaza Strip authorities to afford.
Over 700 families were displaced from their houses damaged due to the atrocious weather condition which hit the Gaza Strip, while more shelter centers have been opened especially in the north of Gaza. Palestinian sources reported that many families have been forced to leave their houses in the Jabalya refugee camp, after the heavy rainfall led to higher levels of water in Berket Abu Rashid, west of the camp.
More houses in the vicinity of Berket Sheikh Radwan were evacuated due to increased likelihood of floods and the families were sheltered in the Shohadaa School, which has opened recently.
Twenty houses became flooded with rainwater in the village of Moghraqa, located near Wadi Gaza, while shelter centers were opened for the residents in need.
A cold front has hit the Palestinian territories leaving the Gaza Strip paralyzed. The heavy rains and gusty winds have damaged the infrastructure and public and private properties.
The bad weather conditions caused fallen power lines and an increase in hours of power outages in most areas of the Strip, which has aggravated the population's suffering.
Mizan Center for Human Rights estimated that more than 750 families were evacuated to emergency shelters not ready to receive those forced to leave their homes.
More houses in the vicinity of Berket Sheikh Radwan were evacuated due to increased likelihood of floods and the families were sheltered in the Shohadaa School, which has opened recently.
Twenty houses became flooded with rainwater in the village of Moghraqa, located near Wadi Gaza, while shelter centers were opened for the residents in need.
A cold front has hit the Palestinian territories leaving the Gaza Strip paralyzed. The heavy rains and gusty winds have damaged the infrastructure and public and private properties.
The bad weather conditions caused fallen power lines and an increase in hours of power outages in most areas of the Strip, which has aggravated the population's suffering.
Mizan Center for Human Rights estimated that more than 750 families were evacuated to emergency shelters not ready to receive those forced to leave their homes.
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A fierce winter storm shut down much of the Middle East Friday, burying Jerusalem in snow, flooding parts of Gaza and bringing frigid, wet weather to war-ravaged Syria.
The hilltop city of Jerusalem was paralyzed by its fiercest snowstorm in years, with its mayor calling out the army to help stranded motorists and authorities urging residents to stay indoors. "We are battling a storm of rare ferocity," Mayor Nir Barkat said as snow in the Holy City piled up to around 15 inches and thousands of homes lost power. Main roads into the city, which climb around 2,600 feet above sea level, |
were closed and police appealed to drivers not to attempt the journey.
Already by mid-morning police had been called to help about 1,500 drivers in the city and on the roads leading to it, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
He said about 1,000 stranded travellers were given shelter at the Jerusalem International Conference Center while hundreds more were taken to a nearby military base.
Young and old, ultra-Orthodox Jews and secular Israelis camped on mattresses in the conference center, many of them glued to mobile devices.
In a rare move, authorities allowed trains to depart from the city after the start of the weekly Jewish sabbath at sundown.
Snow was still falling into the night Friday, as Barkat told Channel 1 television that 25,000 households in Jerusalem were without power.
Ramallah and Bethlehem were also coated in snow and some lower-lying areas suffered flooding from heavy rain.
The Gaza Strip was lashed by torrential rain for a third day, and the Gaza government said in a statement on Friday that so far 2,825 people have been evacuated from their homes, reaching a total of 458 families.
The severe weather prompted Israel to open the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid following a UN request.
In Syria, meanwhile, a child and a baby were said to have died from the cold Thursday, and an activist in a besieged rebel-held town said residents were struggling to stay warm with electricity cut off and no food or fuel allowed in.
"Normally we face the shelling and fighting, as well as food and fuel shortages. Today we also have snow and extreme cold," Abu Anas said by Internet from the town of Hara.
"The worst part is that children and the elderly cannot resist the cold as much as the young people can ... We feel completely cut off from the world."
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) had to delay its first planned international aid airlift into Syria a second day but said weather conditions there were improving.
The agency hopes to fly in some 40 metric tons of aid from northern Iraq.
Farther east, blizzards left thousands of drivers stranded in Iran.
"Rescuers have helped some 6,600 people and more than 1,700 vehicles that got stuck in the heavy snow" since Thursday morning, Mahmoud Mozafar, head of the local Red Crescent Society, told the ISNA news agency.
As residents elsewhere in the region hunkered down and motorists navigated blinding flurries and icy roads, Egyptians took to social media to share rare photos of snow in their normally balmy country.
"The whole garden was white," Karim Kheirat told AFP by telephone from the new town of Medinati northeast of the capital.
"It's the first time in my life that I have seen it like this."
Other suburbs of the capital also saw light snow showers, residents said.
In the Sinai Peninsula, the storm deposited a blanket of snow several inches thick in the mountainous area around Saint Catherine's monastery for the first time in decades.
Mokhtar Hussein, who lives in the area, said he had not left his house since Thursday because "the whole town is covered in snow."
The northern coastal city of Alexandria only received light snowfall, but authorities shut the port for the third consecutive day because of the bad weather and strong winds.
Already by mid-morning police had been called to help about 1,500 drivers in the city and on the roads leading to it, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
He said about 1,000 stranded travellers were given shelter at the Jerusalem International Conference Center while hundreds more were taken to a nearby military base.
Young and old, ultra-Orthodox Jews and secular Israelis camped on mattresses in the conference center, many of them glued to mobile devices.
In a rare move, authorities allowed trains to depart from the city after the start of the weekly Jewish sabbath at sundown.
Snow was still falling into the night Friday, as Barkat told Channel 1 television that 25,000 households in Jerusalem were without power.
Ramallah and Bethlehem were also coated in snow and some lower-lying areas suffered flooding from heavy rain.
The Gaza Strip was lashed by torrential rain for a third day, and the Gaza government said in a statement on Friday that so far 2,825 people have been evacuated from their homes, reaching a total of 458 families.
The severe weather prompted Israel to open the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza to allow in humanitarian aid following a UN request.
In Syria, meanwhile, a child and a baby were said to have died from the cold Thursday, and an activist in a besieged rebel-held town said residents were struggling to stay warm with electricity cut off and no food or fuel allowed in.
"Normally we face the shelling and fighting, as well as food and fuel shortages. Today we also have snow and extreme cold," Abu Anas said by Internet from the town of Hara.
"The worst part is that children and the elderly cannot resist the cold as much as the young people can ... We feel completely cut off from the world."
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) had to delay its first planned international aid airlift into Syria a second day but said weather conditions there were improving.
The agency hopes to fly in some 40 metric tons of aid from northern Iraq.
Farther east, blizzards left thousands of drivers stranded in Iran.
"Rescuers have helped some 6,600 people and more than 1,700 vehicles that got stuck in the heavy snow" since Thursday morning, Mahmoud Mozafar, head of the local Red Crescent Society, told the ISNA news agency.
As residents elsewhere in the region hunkered down and motorists navigated blinding flurries and icy roads, Egyptians took to social media to share rare photos of snow in their normally balmy country.
"The whole garden was white," Karim Kheirat told AFP by telephone from the new town of Medinati northeast of the capital.
"It's the first time in my life that I have seen it like this."
Other suburbs of the capital also saw light snow showers, residents said.
In the Sinai Peninsula, the storm deposited a blanket of snow several inches thick in the mountainous area around Saint Catherine's monastery for the first time in decades.
Mokhtar Hussein, who lives in the area, said he had not left his house since Thursday because "the whole town is covered in snow."
The northern coastal city of Alexandria only received light snowfall, but authorities shut the port for the third consecutive day because of the bad weather and strong winds.
Gales and storms coupled with extreme weather conditions inflicted 96 casualties in the Gaza Strip so far, Ashraf Al-Qudra, the spokesman for the health ministry, said on Saturday. Qudra told the PIC that most of the victims were taken to hospital with light to medium injuries as a result of the stormy weather that engulfed the enclave.
He said that the hospitals, despite shortages of basis medical supplies, managed to treat most of the casualties and only a few remained in hospital.
Ministry of Health: 86 injured during Gaza cold front
Ministry of Health said 86 people across the Gaza Strip have been injured as a result of the extreme weather conditions since the onset of the cold front on Wednesday. Spokesman for the ministry Ashraf Al-Qidra Saturday said that 30 were injured on Wednesday, 16 on Thursday, and 49 on Friday and Saturday, including 10 from the emissions of burnt coal used for air-heating inside homes.
In this context, the government made a brief statement that 433 households accounting for 2234 people have been housed in public schools and police stations.
Mr Salama Marouf, Dircetor General of the Government Media Office, announced that government crews carried out 1200 various missions.
The crews managed to evacuate 650 people, pull out 101 submerged cars, and sucked rainwater from 86 flooded areas and evacuate more than 200 homes.
He pointed to the fall of 12 block walls during the cold front, and of 59 trees.
The cold front continues to hit the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for the fourth day in a row, leaving extensive damage to residential properties, farm houses and poultry and livestock farms amid expectations that it would reverse as from Saturday evening.
He said that the hospitals, despite shortages of basis medical supplies, managed to treat most of the casualties and only a few remained in hospital.
Ministry of Health: 86 injured during Gaza cold front
Ministry of Health said 86 people across the Gaza Strip have been injured as a result of the extreme weather conditions since the onset of the cold front on Wednesday. Spokesman for the ministry Ashraf Al-Qidra Saturday said that 30 were injured on Wednesday, 16 on Thursday, and 49 on Friday and Saturday, including 10 from the emissions of burnt coal used for air-heating inside homes.
In this context, the government made a brief statement that 433 households accounting for 2234 people have been housed in public schools and police stations.
Mr Salama Marouf, Dircetor General of the Government Media Office, announced that government crews carried out 1200 various missions.
The crews managed to evacuate 650 people, pull out 101 submerged cars, and sucked rainwater from 86 flooded areas and evacuate more than 200 homes.
He pointed to the fall of 12 block walls during the cold front, and of 59 trees.
The cold front continues to hit the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for the fourth day in a row, leaving extensive damage to residential properties, farm houses and poultry and livestock farms amid expectations that it would reverse as from Saturday evening.
13 dec 2013
The Gaza government's Disaster Response Committee announced Friday evening that at least 49 people had been injured as a result of the storm pounding the Gaza Strip.
Chairman Yasser Shanti said in a news conference that at least 46 minor injuries and 3 severe injuries have been recorded in medical facilities across the strip as a direct result of the devastation caused by the storm.
He added that the committee had saved 150 families from their homes over the past 24 hours, and in coordination with energy authorities have worked to repair electric lines hit by the storm.
Brig.-Gen. director of civil defense Youssef al-Zahar in Gaza said that 265 crews have been working over time since the beginning of the storm to help with evacuations.
He said that "crews of the civil defense evacuated 60 damaged houses" and "rescued 30 cars stuck in rainwater" in addition to repairing dozens of houses that had suffered major wind damage.
He called on citizens to be cautious about using firewood and charcoal for heating inside homes and to ensure proper ventilation.
Electricity availability has decreased to 1-2 hours per day in recent days, leaving most Gazan households almost completely powerless in the face of record cold temperatures and severe flooding.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
Lack of diesel fuel is a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.
Chairman Yasser Shanti said in a news conference that at least 46 minor injuries and 3 severe injuries have been recorded in medical facilities across the strip as a direct result of the devastation caused by the storm.
He added that the committee had saved 150 families from their homes over the past 24 hours, and in coordination with energy authorities have worked to repair electric lines hit by the storm.
Brig.-Gen. director of civil defense Youssef al-Zahar in Gaza said that 265 crews have been working over time since the beginning of the storm to help with evacuations.
He said that "crews of the civil defense evacuated 60 damaged houses" and "rescued 30 cars stuck in rainwater" in addition to repairing dozens of houses that had suffered major wind damage.
He called on citizens to be cautious about using firewood and charcoal for heating inside homes and to ensure proper ventilation.
Electricity availability has decreased to 1-2 hours per day in recent days, leaving most Gazan households almost completely powerless in the face of record cold temperatures and severe flooding.
The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front moving south across the Levant.
Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.
Lack of diesel fuel is a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by Israel with Egyptian support.
The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by Israel since 2006.
Crews worked overtime across the West Bank on Friday after 60 percent of the Palestinian territory's regions were plunged into darkness as a result of severe weather conditions.
Director General of the Jerusalem Electricity Company Said Hisham Omari told Ma'an that there were at least 45 malfunctions in power lines across the West Bank as a result of the ongoing storm, and that although crews were working to fix them adverse driving conditions were inhibiting their work.
The majority of the power line malfunctions are located inside Israel on lines leading to the West Bank, but Israeli authorities are not fixing the malfunctions while also prohibiting the access of Palestinian crews to the areas.
Company crews were able to restore power to 80 percent of areas across large parts of Bethlehem and Jerusalem and are working hard to restore electricity to Ramallah as well, Omari said.
However, the power supply covers only 40 percent of the province as of Friday evening, and 60 percent remains in the dark, he added.
Director General of the Jerusalem Electricity Company Said Hisham Omari told Ma'an that there were at least 45 malfunctions in power lines across the West Bank as a result of the ongoing storm, and that although crews were working to fix them adverse driving conditions were inhibiting their work.
The majority of the power line malfunctions are located inside Israel on lines leading to the West Bank, but Israeli authorities are not fixing the malfunctions while also prohibiting the access of Palestinian crews to the areas.
Company crews were able to restore power to 80 percent of areas across large parts of Bethlehem and Jerusalem and are working hard to restore electricity to Ramallah as well, Omari said.
However, the power supply covers only 40 percent of the province as of Friday evening, and 60 percent remains in the dark, he added.
The Hamas Movement said it cancelled all marches and popular activities it had planned to hold on Friday in different places of the Gaza Strip to mark its 26th anniversary due to the stormy weather.
In a brief press release, Hamas called on the Palestinian people to help those affected by the storm.
The Palestinian weather service warned that the Palestinian territories will witness strong winds up to 70 kilometers per hour, torrential rains and floods in low areas accompanied by a cold spell.
In a brief press release, Hamas called on the Palestinian people to help those affected by the storm.
The Palestinian weather service warned that the Palestinian territories will witness strong winds up to 70 kilometers per hour, torrential rains and floods in low areas accompanied by a cold spell.
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The Palestinian Government estimated the Gaza people affected by the floods and heavy rain at 662 households accounting for 2825. Government Spokesman Mr. Ihab al-Ghusain told ALRAY "137 households accounting for 787 people have been housed by the government in emergency shelters in schools and police stations and received assistance such as food, clothing and blankets,"
While Ministry of Social Affairs said in a brief statement "The people housed are 35 households accounting for 217 in Gaza city, 43 households with 220 people in the Northern Governorate of the Gaza Strip, 21 households with 110 people in the Central Governorate, 38 households with 240 people in the southern city of Khan Younis. The ministry opened 9 housing shelters and provided the affected people with 974 blankets, 167 bedrolls, 122 food baskets, 483 bags of bread, and plastic sheets. |
On Thursday, Minister of Health declared a state of emergency due to the torrential rain sweeping the Gaza Strip.
Dr Mufeed al-Mukhalalati called on his personnel to assist the Civil Defence crews and municipalities in alleviating the deteriorating situation amid freezing temperatures and gripping electricity crisis.
The current temperature stands at 3 degrees Celsius.
The bad weather has further worsened the electricity crisis in the besieged enclave.
The average of six hours of electricity per day that Gaza has been living on for over a month has decreased to four to five hours with many electricity cables cut due to the harsh weather.
The Gaza's only power plant has been shut down for lack of diesel fuel which stopped to flow since Palestinian Government in Ramallah refused to exempt tax on the fuel shipments that Gaza electricity company buys from (Israel)
Dr Mufeed al-Mukhalalati called on his personnel to assist the Civil Defence crews and municipalities in alleviating the deteriorating situation amid freezing temperatures and gripping electricity crisis.
The current temperature stands at 3 degrees Celsius.
The bad weather has further worsened the electricity crisis in the besieged enclave.
The average of six hours of electricity per day that Gaza has been living on for over a month has decreased to four to five hours with many electricity cables cut due to the harsh weather.
The Gaza's only power plant has been shut down for lack of diesel fuel which stopped to flow since Palestinian Government in Ramallah refused to exempt tax on the fuel shipments that Gaza electricity company buys from (Israel)
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Press TV has interviewed Ralph Schoenman, a Berkeley-based political commentator, interviewed by Press TV to shed more light on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. |
12 dec 2013
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Snow and heavy rain began falling across the West Bank early Thursday covering mountaintop areas in Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. Schools in the West Bank closed for the day in what is reportedly the heaviest snowfall in December since 1953. Palestinian civil defense services helped rescue several families after their homes flooded with rain water. |
Over 30 people have been injured in Gaza in the last 24 hours as a region-wide storm tears though the roofs of meager housing in refugee camps.
A spokesman for Gaza's Ministry of Health told Ma'an that at least 18 of those injured suffered serious to moderate wounds, and were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
A five-year-old boy was badly hurt by a rock that fell from a house's roof in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday, witnesses said.
He was rushed to Nasser Hospital nearby, locals told Ma'an.
Meanwhile, nine of the injured were brought to Abu Yousif al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, also in the southern Gaza Strip.
Two were admitted to Kamal Udwan Hospital in northern Gaza and one was brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Brisk winds and heavy rains overnight damaged several houses and caused power cuts in areas across the coastal territory. Tin boards covering roofs in refugee camps were torn out in several areas.
A spokesman for Gaza's Ministry of Health told Ma'an that at least 18 of those injured suffered serious to moderate wounds, and were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
A five-year-old boy was badly hurt by a rock that fell from a house's roof in Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday, witnesses said.
He was rushed to Nasser Hospital nearby, locals told Ma'an.
Meanwhile, nine of the injured were brought to Abu Yousif al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, also in the southern Gaza Strip.
Two were admitted to Kamal Udwan Hospital in northern Gaza and one was brought to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
Brisk winds and heavy rains overnight damaged several houses and caused power cuts in areas across the coastal territory. Tin boards covering roofs in refugee camps were torn out in several areas.
The storm sweeping Palestine has caused serious damages in the Jenin district of the northern West Bank, local officials told Ma'an.
Rescue teams evacuated an old house in the village of Kafr Rai after it was cracked open as a result of heavy rains, village mayor Majid al-Sheikh Ibrahim said.
After the family was out of the building, Palestinian civil defense forces tore it down as it could have fallen and endangered neighboring houses, Ibrahim said.
The family was taken to another house provided by the municipality.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian civil defense forces told Ma'an that rescue teams had attended to 35 emergency incidents across the district caused by the storm.
Four houses became flooded with rainwater in Qabatiya south of Jenin, in addition to another house and a medical center in the village of Bartaa al-Sharqiyya. The buildings were evacuated and water was pumped out by rescue teams, the spokesperson said.
In the town of Arraba nearby, the main road was shut down as a result of soil erosion.
Additionally, fire fighters contained a fire that broke out in a poultry farm in the village of Silat al-Thahir.
Rescue teams evacuated an old house in the village of Kafr Rai after it was cracked open as a result of heavy rains, village mayor Majid al-Sheikh Ibrahim said.
After the family was out of the building, Palestinian civil defense forces tore it down as it could have fallen and endangered neighboring houses, Ibrahim said.
The family was taken to another house provided by the municipality.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian civil defense forces told Ma'an that rescue teams had attended to 35 emergency incidents across the district caused by the storm.
Four houses became flooded with rainwater in Qabatiya south of Jenin, in addition to another house and a medical center in the village of Bartaa al-Sharqiyya. The buildings were evacuated and water was pumped out by rescue teams, the spokesperson said.
In the town of Arraba nearby, the main road was shut down as a result of soil erosion.
Additionally, fire fighters contained a fire that broke out in a poultry farm in the village of Silat al-Thahir.
PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Saeb Erekat heavily criticized the recent visit of the Guatemalan President, Perez Molina, to occupied East Jerusalem in coordination with Israeli occupation authorities and expressed strong dissatisfaction with the response given by the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry regarding complaints made by the State of Palestine on the issue, PLO's Negotiations Affairs Department said in a press release Wednesday.
"We will not accept any attempt to legitimize Israel's occupation policies, particularly in East Jerusalem. The visit of the President of Guatemala to the occupied Palestinian capital in coordination with the Israeli foreign ministry is unacceptable and contradicts Guatemala's obligations according to the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statue and the ICJ opinion on the Wall, as well as Security Council resolutions 476 and 478, among others" said Erekat.
"What is even more worrying is the statement delivered by the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry which attempted to justify the visit. The statement supported a narrative far removed from reality and demonstrated severe misconceptions that have little to do with international law. Guatemala should know better, especially given the fact that the vast majority of Latin America has a clear position regarding Palestine, firmly grounded in international law and UN resolutions."
Erekat concluded, "Palestine has made a formal complaint to Guatemala on the matter. We consider this visit, along with the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, tantamount to accepting the Israeli annexation of occupied East Jerusalem. We will take all necessary steps within the international arena and in conjunction with our partners in Latin America, the Non Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League, in order to make it clear that East Jerusalem is a red line for billions of people worldwide."
"We will not accept any attempt to legitimize Israel's occupation policies, particularly in East Jerusalem. The visit of the President of Guatemala to the occupied Palestinian capital in coordination with the Israeli foreign ministry is unacceptable and contradicts Guatemala's obligations according to the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statue and the ICJ opinion on the Wall, as well as Security Council resolutions 476 and 478, among others" said Erekat.
"What is even more worrying is the statement delivered by the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry which attempted to justify the visit. The statement supported a narrative far removed from reality and demonstrated severe misconceptions that have little to do with international law. Guatemala should know better, especially given the fact that the vast majority of Latin America has a clear position regarding Palestine, firmly grounded in international law and UN resolutions."
Erekat concluded, "Palestine has made a formal complaint to Guatemala on the matter. We consider this visit, along with the statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, tantamount to accepting the Israeli annexation of occupied East Jerusalem. We will take all necessary steps within the international arena and in conjunction with our partners in Latin America, the Non Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League, in order to make it clear that East Jerusalem is a red line for billions of people worldwide."
Inhabitants of Susia village, east of Yatta town to the south of Al-Khalil, appealed for bringing them relief after their tents flew away due to the high winds and heavy rain that hit the region on Wednesday night. Jihad Nawaja, head of the village council of Susia, appealed in a press statement for offering help to the residents of the area of Msafer Yatta.
"There are 45 families living in the region. Many lost their tents last night and we fear that the rest of the tents will also fly away", he said, pointing out that the great majority of the populations are children.
The citizen Mohammed Jabareen, a resident in the Sha'ab al-Batm area, made an appeal for extending relief to the inhabitants after they lost their tents, especially as the snow started falling.
"There are 45 families living in the region. Many lost their tents last night and we fear that the rest of the tents will also fly away", he said, pointing out that the great majority of the populations are children.
The citizen Mohammed Jabareen, a resident in the Sha'ab al-Batm area, made an appeal for extending relief to the inhabitants after they lost their tents, especially as the snow started falling.
Algeria has confirmed its full support for the Palestinian people's right to restore their land and declare Palestine an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. During the 40th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Conakry, Algerian Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs, Madjid Bougherra, has called for intensifying efforts and developing practical plans for the support of the Palestinian people’s struggle.
He said that this session came in the wake of serious challenges facing the Islamic Nation due to internal conflicts and instability, calling on OIC to intensify its efforts and to develop its partnership with international and regional organizations.
He pointed out that the Palestinian cause was the main cause for OIC's establishment, considering the continued Israeli occupation and Judaization policy a real threat to the entire Islamic nation and to the organization.
“Holding a special session on Jerusalem reflects our will to protect the holy city and its religious and cultural heritage”, he said.
Muslim bloc calls for recognition of Palestinian state
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on the international community to recognize the Palestinian Territories as a sovereign state "in the shortest possible time" as it closed its annual conference of foreign ministers on Wednesday.
The ministers welcomed a United Nations decision in November 2012 to elevate the territories to the status of non-member observer state in a declaration adopted at the end of the three-day meeting in the Guinean capital Conakry.
"We welcome the important recent decision by many countries to recognize the state of Palestine ... and urge states that have not yet done so to fulfill their responsibilities under the charter of the United Nations recognizing the State of Palestine in the shortest possible time," the statement said.
The 57-member grouping reiterated its condemnation of "illegal" Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and "acts of violence and terrorism of Israeli settlers" against Palestinian civilians.
It called for "the immediate cessation of violence" in Syria, wracked by conflict between forces loyal to the Ba'athist government of Bashar Assad and rebels seeking to oust it, and the start of a transition towards a "pluralistic, democratic, and civil" country.
The world's largest grouping of Muslim nations also underlined its commitment to working with the international community to combat terrorism and rejected "any attempt to link terrorism to Islam, a particular Islamic country, race, culture, religion, or nationality."
The ministers called for support to "eradicate the terrorist armed groups and drug traffickers" in Mali, which was upended by a coup and sweeping Islamist offensive before a French-led military intervention in January.
The 57-member OIC was founded in 1969 and describes itself on its website as the "collective voice of the Muslim world."
He said that this session came in the wake of serious challenges facing the Islamic Nation due to internal conflicts and instability, calling on OIC to intensify its efforts and to develop its partnership with international and regional organizations.
He pointed out that the Palestinian cause was the main cause for OIC's establishment, considering the continued Israeli occupation and Judaization policy a real threat to the entire Islamic nation and to the organization.
“Holding a special session on Jerusalem reflects our will to protect the holy city and its religious and cultural heritage”, he said.
Muslim bloc calls for recognition of Palestinian state
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on the international community to recognize the Palestinian Territories as a sovereign state "in the shortest possible time" as it closed its annual conference of foreign ministers on Wednesday.
The ministers welcomed a United Nations decision in November 2012 to elevate the territories to the status of non-member observer state in a declaration adopted at the end of the three-day meeting in the Guinean capital Conakry.
"We welcome the important recent decision by many countries to recognize the state of Palestine ... and urge states that have not yet done so to fulfill their responsibilities under the charter of the United Nations recognizing the State of Palestine in the shortest possible time," the statement said.
The 57-member grouping reiterated its condemnation of "illegal" Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and "acts of violence and terrorism of Israeli settlers" against Palestinian civilians.
It called for "the immediate cessation of violence" in Syria, wracked by conflict between forces loyal to the Ba'athist government of Bashar Assad and rebels seeking to oust it, and the start of a transition towards a "pluralistic, democratic, and civil" country.
The world's largest grouping of Muslim nations also underlined its commitment to working with the international community to combat terrorism and rejected "any attempt to link terrorism to Islam, a particular Islamic country, race, culture, religion, or nationality."
The ministers called for support to "eradicate the terrorist armed groups and drug traffickers" in Mali, which was upended by a coup and sweeping Islamist offensive before a French-led military intervention in January.
The 57-member OIC was founded in 1969 and describes itself on its website as the "collective voice of the Muslim world."