Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that Israel will not allow a humanitarian crisis to erupt in the Gaza Strip, local media reported.
Olmert made the remarks in a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who called for Israel to stop its siege on the Gaza Strip.
"We will not allow a humanitarian crisis in the Strip," Olmert assured the Egyptian president.
"We will provide the population with everything needed to prevent a crisis, but we will not supply luxuries that would make life more comfortable," he added.
Also Monday, Olmert met with the Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen and told him that Hamas was intensifying the crisis in Gaza in order to create international pressure on Israel.
"We are trying to hit only those involved in terrorism, but also signaling to the population in Gaza that it cannot be free from responsibility to the situation," Olmert told Verhagen.
The border crossings between Gaza and Israel remained closed Monday, as ordered by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday due to the escalation of Qassam rocket fire targeting southern Israel.
Hamas announced the shutdown of the power plant Sunday morning, which Rafik Maliha, director of Gaza's electric company, attributed to a shortage of the fuel needed to run the plant.
A UN agency and human rights groups condemned Israel, but Israel said they should direct their criticism at Palestinian militant groups that fire rockets at southern Israel every day.
Source: Xinhua
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