Haniyeh phones Abbas on situation in Gaza

Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh phoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip, that has been under a tight Israeli siege since Hamas took control of the coastal enclave in June of 2007. The phone call is part of a series of contacts held by Haniyeh with Arab and foreign officials to post them on the worsening situation in the Strip, the Palestinian news agency reported. Among the officials Haniyeh contacted were Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah ben Naser al-Thani and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In press statements, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami el-Hamad called for rallying all efforts to address the problems facing Gazans, saying the Palestinian Authority is still ready to supply tax-free diesel to the Gaza power plant. His statements were much welcomed by deputy head of Energy Authority in Gaza Fathi el-Sheikh Khailil who expressed appreciation for any effort exerted to address power problems in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority levies taxes on industrial fuel. "We are ready to buy heavy fuel for 40 days but without any taxes," Khalil said. "We just want to settle on the price," he added. Gaza Strip's sole power plant was shut down on November 1 as fuel run out. The Strip needs 380 megawatt of power in Spring and Autumn and 440 megawatt in Summer and Winter to be able to meet the needs of the Gaza population estimated at 1.8 million. Lack of fuel supplies forced the Electricity Distribution Company in Gaza to increase the hours of power outages on houses and vital facilities from 8 to 12 hours daily. Source: MENA