The EU announced yesterday that it will resume on a temporary basis as of today providing fuel to Gaza power station in Gaza Strip which is suffering from major power cut off for the last five days. The following is the statement issued yesterday by the European Commission:

"Following a meeting that took place today Tuesday 21 August with Palestinian Prime Minister Dr Fayyad, the European Commission is willing to carry out immediately the necessary joint Commission/Palestinian Authority audits to ensure that fuel aid in Gaza remains properly managed.

In agreement with the Palestinian Authority, the Commission has decided meanwhile to resume on Wednesday, on a provisional basis, deliveries of fuel to the Gaza Power Plant with the expectation that any further measures and controls needed following the audit will be put into place immediately.

The Commission has always done its utmost to provide emergency assistance to the population in Gaza and has always acted to ensure that this assistance reaches the people it is addressed to, the Palestinians in need.

The Commission will be looking carefully with the Palestinian Authority into the audit results and will proceed according to such results."

In the meantime, Egypt warned yesterday of political exploitation of the electricity crisis in Gaza Strip at a time when Gaza Strip suffers a serious shortage after the EU decided to suspend fuel supplies. The spokesperson for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry Hussam Zaki said: Manipulating the basic services for the Palestinian people must not happen under no circumstances and regardless of the justifications. He stressed that the arrangements to provide electricity to the citizens in Gaza Strip must remain unchanged and all parties have to move away from using the basic services as political cards by any party.

In the meantime, Egyptian FM Abul Gheit denied the possibility of the return of the Egyptian security delegation to Gaza soon. he wondered: How can the delegation return at a time when there is no Palestinian internal dialogue? In the meantime, Cairo denied agreement on a water canal on the borders with Israel.

Published at Al Quds NewsPaper on August 22, 2007