VIDEO - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued telegrams to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the Quartet and the Arab League in which he called on Israel to lift the siege it is imposing on the Gaza Strip and
renew the supply of fuel to the Hamas-controlled coastal territory "to allow hospitals to operate and prevent an humanitarian disaster."
Darkness overtook large swaths of Gaza after the only local power station ceased its operations earlier in the evening. It should be noted that Gaza receives over 70% of its electrical power from Israel, and that power is still being supplied.
Abbas called on the Palestinian people to remain patient, tolerant and maintain unity: "We will continue to work towards resolving the crisis and the end of the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state."
Minutes after the station powered down Gaza's residents holding candles began marching through the city's streets along Palestinian children holding signs in English and Arabic. In Ramallah hundreds held a candlelit demonstration in solidarity.
Earlier reports said that Palestinian security forces attempted to prevent the rally but PA troops later joined the protestors and held candles as well.
Mashaal turns to Egypt for help
Health Ministry official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain warned that the fuel cutoff would cause a health catastrophe. ''We have the choice to either cut electricity on babies in the maternity ward or heart surgery patients or stop operating rooms,'' he said.
The exiled Hamas chief appealed to Arab leaders and rival Abbas, asking them to forget their differences and help the beleaguered Gazans.
''All Arab leaders, exercise real pressure to stop this Zionist crime ... take up your role and responsibility,'' he told al-Jazeera satellite TV in a live interview from Syria. ''We are not asking you to wage a military war against Israel ... but just stand with us in pride and honor.''
Mashaal said he had been in contact Sunday with some Arab countries including Egypt and Saudi Arabia to see if they would pressure Israel. He also said he asked Egypt if it would provide fuel to Gaza plant.
Israel: Hamas pretending there is a crisis
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel charged that Hamas was creating an artificial crisis. The blackout ''is a Hamas ploy to pretend there is some kind of crisis to attract international sympathy,'' he said.
Israel continues to assert that the supply of electricity is continuing as usual. "There is no power crisis in Gaza. Apparently Hamas, out of its own considerations, has decided not to transfer fuel to the station," said a State security official in Jerusalem.
The source questioned the timing of the alleged crisis. "Defense Minister Ehud Barak only ordered the restriction of fuel on Thursday, we don't transport fuel as it is on Friday and Saturday, so the order only went into effect today. There is enough diesel in Gaza to power the station. And to the best of our knowledge there is also enough fuel for cars. Enough fuel has been provided and there should not be any shortage," the official said.
Israel also rejected the claim that there was a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying that Palestinian liaisons have said that there are sufficient stockpiles of food and water. "Our feeling is that someone over there, apparently Hamas, is trying to exaggerate the problem and make it seem as though there is a humanitarian crisis. There is no truth to this."
Roni Sofer and AP contributed to this report