Leftist factions: Govt responsible for Gaza fuel crisis

The Palestinian leftist front met in the Gaza Strip on Saturday to discuss the continuing fuel crisis in the coastal enclave. The group of leftist parties said it held the government in Gaza responsible for the crisis and called for speedy resolution of the lack of fuel supplies. It also called on President Mahmoud Abbas to fulfill his duties to the Gaza Strip. The meeting affirmed the right of citizens in Gaza to protest the crisis and freely express their views, noting that intimidation will not solve the problem. Since Egypt sought an alternative route for fuel supplies to the underground tunnel network in mid-February, Gaza has faced up to 18-hour power cuts each day. Officials in Gaza and Abbas' Palestinian Authority say they have reached a deal with Egypt to bring fuel via the Rafah crossing to resolve the crisis. The energy shortage sparked the latest round of accusations between Fatah, which dominates the PA, and Hamas, which rules Gaza. A deal to end their split into rival governments, agreed in May 2011, remains stalled.