Tag Archive for PA electricity debt

| June 13, 2017
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Israel decides to allow Palestinian autocrat Mahmoud Abbas cut Gaza’s electricity

 

Although Gaza’s 2 million residents are already receiving 3-4 hours of power a day, Israel abides by the Palestinian leader’s decision to cut the power, rather than having the Israeli public cover Gaza’s electricity bill.

By the Associated Press

 

Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers warned of renewed violence Monday if Israel acquiesces to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ wishes and reduces its electricity supply to the isolated territory.

Gaza’s 2 million residents already get by with only four hours of electricity a day. In an effort to push his Hamas rivals out of power, Abbas says his West Bank government will stop paying Israel to provide electricity. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| April 27, 2017
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Abbas threatens Hamas: Political power in Gaza for electrical power in Gaza

 

After Gaza’s sole power-plant was shut down due to Hamas’ refusal to purchase fuel, PA President Mahmoud Abbas informed Israel he is stopping all payments for electricity that enters Gaza if Hamas does not yield some of its political control over Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.

By ADAM RASGON

 

PA President Mahmoud Abbas has warned over the past two weeks that he will take “unprecedented measures,” if Hamas does not concede some of its control over Gaza to the PA.

Fatah’s Mahmoud Abbas (L) & Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh (R) – Google Images

The Palestinian Authority informed Israel that it is stopping all payments for electricity that enters Gaza through 10 electrical lines, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said on Thursday. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , ,
| September 14, 2016
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Deal: Israel gives Palestinian Authority control of West Bank power grid

 

In a plan to get the Palestinians to pay their $500.8 million electric bill, US taxpayer will pay $25.4 million of their bill, and the Israel Electric Corporation will transfer control of the West Bank electric grid to the Palestinian Authority.

By Itamar Eichner

 

A deal was signed whereby the Palestinian electrical grid will now be the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday, ensuring that the Palestinians pay their NIS2 billion debt to the Israeli Electric Corporation. The agreement will see a half billion shekels of the debt forgiven.The agreement was signed by the Head of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) General Yoav “Poli” Mordechai in the presence of Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon, Finance Ministry Director General Shai Babed, and the PA Minister of Civil Affairs Hussain al-Sheikh. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , ,
| August 4, 2016
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Clashes between PA and Tulkarem municipality after power turned off

 

Palestinian residents are taking to the street in protest, as city officials and Abbas’ Palestinian Authority blame each other when electricity to the northern West Bank town was turned off in response to unpaid bills in the millions.

By ADAM RASGON

 

Much of Tulkarm has gone without electricity for the last three days, provoking anger, frustration and confusion.

Residents have taken to the street in protest and called on Israeli and Palestinian authorities to take immediate actions to restore electricity to the northern West Bank city.

Electric poles

Electric poles. – Photo: REUTERS

Meanwhile, younger residents clashed with Palestinian Authority security forces, as Fatah members began staging a protest in Gamal Abdel Nasser Square. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: ,
| May 9, 2016
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Hamas blames Abbas’ Palestinian Authority for hoarding Israel’s electricity

 

Israel provides part of Gaza’s electricity, yet Abbas’ PA has refused to pay the $400k bill for electricity provided by Israel, not only to Gaza, but used in Judea & Samaria as well.

By Dalit Halevy

 

Hamas, which advocates jihad to destroy the State of Israel and calls to boycott the Jewish state, demanded a greater supply of electricity from Israel to Gaza on Sunday.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri charged the “Israeli occupation” with responsibility for a house fire “which burned to death this week three toddler members of the al-Hindi family in Gaza.” The fire broke out due to the family lighting candles in their apartment, as their neighborhood had been suffering from a blackout at the time.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , ,
| April 13, 2016
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Palestinians to build power plant in Jenin

 

Israel supports request by Palestine Investment Fund to construct a power plant in the Jenin Industrial Zone, that should create 1,000 jobs for Palestinians as well as reduce cost of electricity in the Palestinian Authority.

By Elior Levy

 

Israel has approved in principle the construction of the first Palestinian power station in the West Bank, expected to be built in the Jenin Industrial Zone, near the Gilboa-Jalame checkpoint.

Palestinian power plant

The Prime Minister’s Office issued the approval after the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), led by a confidante of President Mahmoud Abbas and former deputy prime minister Mohammed Mustafa, submitted a request through the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , ,
| April 6, 2016
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Power cuts to West Bank over unpaid bills brings payment & negotiations

 

For full resumption of power, the Palestinians agree to make immediate payment of  ‎₪20 million with promise to engage in negotiations on remaining $444 million within a week, or feel return to ‘darkness.’

By i24news

 

Israeli and Palestinian officials reached an agreement on Wednesday to stop several days of rolling blackouts in the West Bank over what Israel says is some $450 million in debt.


Israel returns power supply to Palestinian citiesby i24news-en

Under the agreement, the Palestinian Authority would make an immediate payment of  ‎₪20 million shekels ($5.2 million, €4.6 million) and engage in negotiations on the remainder, the state-run Israel Electricity Corporation said in a statement. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News | Tags: , , , ,
| April 5, 2016
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First Jericho, now Bethlehem suffers electric shortages over massive debt 

 

Israel Electrical Corporation reduced power flow to the large West Bank city because the Palestinian Authority refuses to pay its electrical bills, amounting to the serious sum of $460 million.
• Meanwhile, Israel expands Gaza’s fishing zone.

By The Associated Press

 

Israel’s state electric company on Monday reduced power to a major West Bank city, saying it would take similar steps in other Palestinian areas over the next two weeks because of unpaid debt.

The Israel Electric Corporation said it had reduced its supply to Bethlehem by 50 percent, days after doing so in the city of Jericho. The company said the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority owes it nearly $460 million. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , , , , , ,
| April 5, 2015
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Abbas rejects Israel’s deduction of electricity debt from Palestinian tax revenues

Palestinian president returned transferred taxes because portion was deducted to cover part of huge PA debt owed to Israeli electric company, explaining, ‘Either Israel transfers the funds to us in full, or we go to the ICC.’

By Reuters

 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday Israel had released frozen tax revenues to the Authority but that he had ordered the funds to be returned because money had been deducted to cover debts to Israeli utility companies.

Palestinian President Abbas – Photo: EPA

Palestinians are believed to owe millions of dollars for use of utilities and hospitals.

Under existing agreements, Israel collects taxes and customs on behalf of the Palestinians and then transfers the sums.

Continue Reading »
Category: Israel News | Tags: , , ,
| March 26, 2015
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Palestinians protest when Egypt stops electricity supply to Gaza

Egyptian government cuts electricity to Palestinians as a result of their outstanding debt, leaving one Gazan to declare,  “Even when we had the war with the Zionists, they did not cut off our power supply and water like el-Sissi the criminal.”

By Daniel Siryoti

 

Residents of Khan Younis and Rafah took to the streets Tuesday after Egypt had cut off power to parts of the southern Gaza Strip.

The Rafah border crossing. Egypt has recently stepped up its counter-terrorism operations in the area – Photo: AFP

The protesters vented their anger at Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and his government in light of reports that the decision to take parts of those towns off the grid was made by high-ranking officials in Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy.

Continue Reading »
Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| February 27, 2015
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Palestinian Authority Settle its Electricity Debt with Israel Electric Company

After forced blackouts in Jenin and Shechem over unpaid electric bills, 300 million shekels of PA tax money to be transferred to the Israel Electric Company.

By Avi Haim & Tova Dvorin

 

The Israel Electric Company (IEC) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) reached a temporary settlement Thursday, after the IEC introduced rolling blackouts in protest to outstanding debts.

Electricity on the way to the Palestinians – Photo: IsraelandStuff/PP

Under the agreement, the PA will transfer some 300 million shekel (about $75,800,000) in tax money to the IEC in exchange for a halt on the blackouts, which the IEC introduced earlier this week after multiple warnings over the debt.

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