Israel Set to ‘Isolate Gaza 100 Percent’

JERUSALEM, 28 October 2007 — Israel plans to paralyze the infrastructure of the Gaza Strip in every possible way and separate itself completely from the Palestinian territory in the long term, an Israeli minister said yesterday. “We want to separate ourselves from the Gaza Strip at the level of its infrastructure in every way possible,” Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Israeli public radio.

On Thursday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced that Israel would start periodic electricity cuts and limit fuel deliveries to the Strip because of the continued firing of rockets by militants.

But Vilnai said these measures were not really because of the rocket firing “but really to achieve the separation of this territory, which was approved in principle two weeks ago by the Israeli government, and whose application had only been delayed for a simple legalistic check.”

In September, the Security Cabinet decreed the Gaza Strip “a hostile entity.” It has been controlled completely by Hamas since mid-June when the Islamist movement ousted security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah party.

“Long term we want to separate ourselves from this territory, 100 percent,” said Vilnai, adding that at the moment Israel was providing all the fuel that the Gaza Strip needed, as well as two-thirds of its electricity supplies. “Currently, more than 100 lorries loaded with food and basic necessities coming from Israel enter the Gaza Strip each day to avoid a humanitarian crisis, but we also have to find an alternative solution at this level,” Vilnai said.

Since the Hamas takeover the Israelis have imposed a tight vice around the Gaza Strip, closing crossing points and only allowing through essential products. Palestinians and human rights groups charge that the noose around the Strip amounts to collective punishment of civilians, contrary to international law.

The Israeli military claims that since the Islamists took control, a thousand rockets and mortar shells have been fired at Israel, wounding dozens of people.