March 4, 2012

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The leader of the business community in the Gaza Strip warned on Sunday that dozens of factories are at risk of closure due to Gaza's fuel crisis.

Ali al-Hayik, the head of Gaza's Federation of Industries and the Palestinian Businessmen Association, called on the Hamas-led government to provide fuel to factories to avert an impending catastrophe for local industry.

The government must take responsibility for the crisis and is tasked with supporting the private sector, al-Hayik said in a press statement.

He stressed that local business keeps the national economy afloat and provides employment, but has been beset by repeated disasters, including Israel's blockade of Gaza and damage during Israeli military operations.

Private sector organizations are also damaged by the poor transport infrastructure, repeated electricity blackouts, and sanitation problems, he said.

After fuel deliveries via underground tunnels from Egypt were shut off in recent weeks, Gaza's power plant has shut down twice and the 1.7 million residents of the coastal strip face up to 18-hour blackouts each day.

Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday blamed Egypt for not resolving the fuel shortage. The Hamas authorities and Egypt cannot agree on an official channel for fuel deliveries, after Egypt sought to cut off the tunnel network.

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