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High Court to hold emergency hearing on Gaza siege

Court grants petition by Legal Center for Arab Minority, will hear arguments against siege coming Sunday. Groups' previous petitions for interim order ceasing blockade were denied

The High Court granted Thursday a petition by Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups to hold an emergency hearing on the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip this coming Sunday.

 

Israel has closed off all crossings to the Strip last week, cutting off all shipments of goods and fuels to Gaza.

 

Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel - and Gisha: Legal Center For Freedom of Movement,  petition the High Court several days ago, asking that it issue an interim order allowing diesel into Gaza and ordering the crossings reopened, pending its final decision on the matter. Adalah's previous petitions to that effect have been denied.

 

Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians continued crossing through Rafah into Egypt, where they re-stocked on basic supplies. Egyptian troops were present at the border, diverting traffic away from the area and preventing any trucks or private vehicles from entering the Egyptian side of the border.

 

Prior to the troops' arrival, several Egyptian fuel tankers arrived at the border in order to meet the growing Palestinian demand, selling the fuel at a fraction of its price in Gaza.

 

Gaza's fuel shortage has caused electricity blackouts throughout the Strip. Israel maintains Hamas was behind the blackouts.

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.24.08, 12:39
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