Hamas blames Abbas for electricity outage in Gaza

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which has been ruling the Gaza Strip since mid-2007, has laid the blame for the current electricity outage in Gaza on Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Felesteen newspaper reported.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called for Abbas to “immediately” work to repair the electricity problem and stop his “tricks and political blackmailing” to Gaza citizens.

“We completely blame Abbas and Hamadallah for the repercussions of them continuing their dangerous policies, which serve only the Israeli occupation,” Barhoum said.

He accused the politicians of eschewing their humanitarian and national responsibility towards the Palestinians as their policies have led to the shutdown of the sole electricity plant in the coastal enclave.

Abbas has insisted on collecting a high tax on the industrial fuel bought by the Electricity Company from the Palestinian citizens, besieged for nine years in Gaza. “This is inhumane act,” Barhoum said.