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| By: Israel Insider staff and partners |
| Published: May 10, 2006 |
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Dor Energy, the Israeli company that provides fuel to the Palestinian areas, is cutting off supplies due to growing debts, Israel and Palestinian officials said Wednesday.
Palestinians warned the move would deepen a humanitarian crisis brewing in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
The head of the Palestinian petrol commission, Mujahid Salame, said he expected gasoline supplies to run out on Thursday. "If this happens, there will be a humanitarian crisis," he said.
He said Palestinian officials were in touch with American and European diplomats in hopes of pressuring Israel to reverse the move by Dor Energy.
Asaf Sharif, a top aide to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, confirmed that Dor has decided to halt the shipments.
In the past, Israel paid the debt from tax revenues it collects for the Palestinian Authority. However, Sharif said Israel would not do so again.
Israel has frozen the $55 million in monthly tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority as part of its boycott of the new Hamas-led government. The tax money has been placed in escrow, and Israel used some of the money last month to pay the fuel debt, preventing a fuel crisis.
AP contributed to this report. |
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