By Xinhua
Gaza : The deposed Hamas government considered on Thursday Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s decision to reduce powers supplies given to the Gaza Strip “a collective punishment.”
Israeli Radio reported earlier Thursday that Barak approved an Israeli security committee’s recommendations to reduce the amounts of power that is supplied from Israel to Gaza.
The decision came as Palestinian militants escalated their makeshift rockets attacks on Israel before Israel considered the power and highly densely besieged enclave a “hostile entity.”
Taher al-Nono, spokesman of Hamas government in Gaza said in a statement “the government considers Barak’s approval of the plan to increase sanctions and tighten closure on Gaza a collective punishment against the Palestinians.”
He warned of the humanitarian consequences of the decision, adding “the international community is urged to stop this crime committed against 1.5 million people.”
“The Israeli government is the occupier of the Palestinian territories, and it is held responsible for the consequences of this irresponsible decision,” said al-Nono.
He called on President Mahmoud Abbas to stop meetings “with the Israeli occupation, because such meetings are offering the occupation a political cover, and ornament it in the eyes of the world’s public opinion.”