Gazans rushed to stock up on petrol and food on Sunday as Israel cut fuel supplies in its first concrete response to Hamas’s seizure of power in Gaza.
The panic-buying came on another frenetic day of politics as President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a new government in Ramallah and outlawed the Hamas militias that deposed the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. He promised their members would be punished for their actions.
But Ismail Haniyeh, who was fired by Abbas as prime minister on Thursday, insisted that he remained in power and that the new government was illegal.
Israeli nervousness at the emergence of an Islamic mini-state on its southern doorstep was compounded by a reminder of the instability on its northern flank when two rockets were fired across the border from Lebanon, the first such episode since last summer’s war with Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied involvement.
The Israeli embargo applied a telling squeeze to petrol supplies in Gaza. Vehicles queued to stock up on fuel and some stations ran out within hours. Dor Alon, the private Israeli fuel company that supplies Gaza, said it would only send shipments to Gaza’s power stations.
Many areas of Gaza have been without electricity since power cables were damaged in last week’s fighting. Gazans also stockpiled food, emptying supermarket shelves of food and contributing to price rises.
Workers at Gaza’s only fuel warehouse told the Associated Press that supplies had run out. Early on Sunday, the owners of 15 petrol companies came to the warehouse and purchased the last 30 tonnes of fuel. Asef Hamdi, a worker at a Gaza petrol station, feared what the end of the fuel shipments would mean for the territory.
”The results will be Gaza in full darkness, with no cars,” he said. ”In simple words … welcome to the Taliban lifestyle”.
The Karni crossing, through which Gaza’s imports and exports flow, is closed; it is not clear when it will reopen. A few hundred Gazans attempted to escape Gaza through the Erez crossing into Israel but most were denied entry. Israeli soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to maintain order in the tunnels that lead to the Israeli checkpoint.
Abbas’ new Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, issued a direct appeal to Gazans as he took office along with a Ccabinet of technocrats who are not members of either Hamas or Fatah. ”The first priority is security and the security situation. The mission will be difficult and hard, but not impossible,” he said. Addressing the residents in Gaza, he said: ”You are in our hearts, the top of our agenda. The dark images, the shameful things that are alien to our traditions … are not going to stop us.”
The Palestinian Authority retains control of the areas of the West Bank that it is allowed to control by Israel but its hold on Gaza was demolished by Hamas last week. While Hamas has a lot of support in the West Bank, it does not have the same level of organisation it has in Gaza.
Haniyeh called the new government illegal and insisted he remains in power. ”The council of ministers considers the steps adopted by President Mahmoud Abbas to … have no basis in law,” he said.
Hamas officials began to try to create stability in Gaza after months of instability and violence. Volunteers from Hamas directed traffic while its militias began trying to collect weapons held by families. However, Hamas does not have the power to open borders or import and export goods without cooperating with Egypt and Israel, which do not recognise its seizure of power.
Haniyeh said Hamas was forced to take action against the Fatah security forces last week after a series of attacks against Hamas, including an attack on his home. In an interview with France’s Le Figaro, he said: ”It was necessary to bring an end to this disorder. Calm has returned and I think that the security situation will be much better than before. There will be one legitimate armed force and we will bring law and discipline to Gaza.”
Haniyeh also emphasised that his platform was the same as that of the Palestine Liberation Organisation in its desire for a two-state solution although he did not explicitly recognise the legitimacy of the state of Israel. ”We want the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, that is Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The PLO is in charge of negotiations on this point. We have agreed to respect all the past agreements signed by the PA,” he said.
The rocket attacks from Lebanon damaged a factory and a car but caused no injuries. One expert said it was probably the work of a Palestinian splinter group.
Timeline
10.04am Mahmoud Abbas establishes emergency Cabinet.
1.18pm Hamas says it considers the new government illegal.
1.21pm Ehud Olmert, Israel’s PM, says new government is potential partner for peace.
2.08pm Deposed Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, insists dismantled Hamas-Fatah coalition still rightful government.
15.11 Abbas says top priority of his government is to bring about an end to the international aid embargo. – Guardian Unlimited Â