VZCZCXRO0832
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0213/01 0371451
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 061451Z FEB 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0474
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; PRM FOR PRM/ANE; NSC FOR 
ABRAMS/PASCUAL; TREASURY FOR SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON; 
PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: GAZA: SOME SHIPMENTS OF FOOD AND FUEL; 
DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL RE-STARTS 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 168 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Forty-five truckloads of commercial and 
humanitarian shipments entered Gaza through Sufa crossing on 
February 6, while Kerem Shalom remained closed.  Fuel 
transfers were made via Nahal Oz transfer station, supplying 
the Gaza Power Plant with sufficient fuel to continue to 
produce 55 MW/day.  Gaza's electricity supply meets roughly 
65 percent of current demand, and Gaza residences receive 
roughly eight hours of water from municipal pumps each day. 
The Gas Station Owners Association has agreed to re-start 
fuel distribution services in Gaza, while blaming "Hamas, 
Ramallah, and Israel" for the low level of fuel imports.  End 
summary. 
 
Limited Shipments of Food and Fuel 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) OCHA and WFP contacts said that Sufa crossing was 
open on February 6.  Fifteen truckloads of commercial dairy 
and fruit shipments, 13 truckloads of WFP aid shipments, and 
roughly 17 others containing NGO aid shipments entered Gaza. 
WFP logistics contacts said that Kerem Shalom crossing 
remained closed on February 6, and that it was last open on 
January 23. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Palestinian Petroleum Corporation Director in Gaza 
Mujahid Salama said that the following fuel shipments were 
transferred at the Nahal Oz fuel transfer station on February 
6: 
- industrial fuel for Gaza Power Plant - 450,000 liters 
- diesel fuel - 175,000 
- gasoline - none 
- cooking/heating gas - 220 tons 
 
Power Plant Generating, But Supply Falls Short 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Gaza Power Plant Project Manager Rafiq Maliha told 
Econoff that his plant continues to generate an average 
output of 55 MW/day of electricity - 45 MW during the day and 
65 MW during night-time peak demand hours.  He noted that the 
plant's limited number of fuel filters are being used up 
quickly due to the lack of fuel reserves.  Maliha noted that 
the plant's three turbines are capable of generating 85 MW. 
He said that Gaza's current overall power supply of 190 MW 
(118 MW from Israeli feeder lines; 17 MW from Egypt; and 55 
MW from the Power Plant) meets around 65 percent of Gaza's 
current demand, given the depressed levels of economic 
activity. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) OCHA contacts in Gaza said that one of the eleven 
Israeli feeder lines into Gaza has not been functioning since 
January 29, resulting in additional power shortages in Gaza 
City.  The non-fuctioning line normally supplies the Gaza 
City grid with 12 MW.  OCHA has been told that the line may 
be repaired on February 7. 
 
Limited Running Water To Residences 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU) 
engineer Monther Shoblak said on February 6 that nearly all 
Gazans are receiving roughly eight hours of water from the 
municipal pumps to their homes each day, as last week's fuel 
shipment of 150,000 liters to the CMWU supplied all of the 
140 municipal pumping stations with fuel for their 
generators.  The CMWU is running most pumping stations with 
their emergency generators because of the unreliable and 
insufficient electricity flow from the grid. 
 
Association Decides To Re-start Fuel Distribution Services 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Vice Chairman of the Gaza Petroleum and Gas Station 
Owners' Association Mahmoud Khozendar told Econoff on 
February 6 that his membership resumed delivery of diesel 
fuel stored on the Gaza side of the Nahal Oz fuel transfer 
station.  He said that 400,000 liters of diesel fuel were 
delivered on February 5-6 to hospitals, NGOs, and private 
companies; and 800,000 liters were delivered to gas stations 
- an estimated three-day supply.  Khozendar said that his 
membership also distributed 100,000 liters of gasoline to 
local gas stations - an amount that was bought in less than 
 
JERUSALEM 00000213  002 OF 002 
 
 
two hours. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Khozendar said that his association had decided on 
February 5 to re-start distributions from Nahal Oz, stressing 
that "Hamas, Ramallah, and Israel have the Gaza fuel shortage 
burden squarely on their shoulders now."  He said that the 
Association's reasoning behind its previous refusal to 
deliver fuel was to stress the fact that "these low fuel 
import levels are completely unacceptable and against 
international law." 
WALLES