Though both sides appear eager to halt the fighting, Hamas also wants Israel to end its blockade of Gaza, which is meant to pressure the group to stop Palestinian militants from firing their salvos into Israel.
Officials in Gaza said they had turned off two of three turbines at a power plant providing electricity to thousands of Gazans because Israel had not provided enough diesel to run the plants.
Ninety percent of Gaza City, the territory’s biggest city, was plunged into darkness on Saturday night, energy official Kaanan Obeid said.
An Israeli army spokesman said Israel did not deliver as much fuel as planned to Gaza this week because Palestinian militants attacked the crossing Israel uses to deliver the diesel.
It was not immediately clear if the power station had actually run out of fuel or whether Gaza’s Hamas rulers wanted to exaggerate the impression of crisis.
Israel has in the past limited its rations of fuel and other supplies to Gaza in an attempt to pressure militants to stop firing rockets at nearby Israeli towns. But government spokesman David Baker denied Israel was to blame for the electricity cutback.
“Israel continues to supply fuel and vital humanitarian goods to Gaza,” Baker said. “There is no logical reason for this fuel plant to be shut down. This is another example of Hamas orchestrating an artificial crisis for its own political aims.”
About 400 people, including Hamas officials, took part in a candlelight vigil in Gaza City protesting the fuel shortages.
In recent months, Gazans have commonly spent four to six hours a day without electricity because of fuel shortages. Many people used to rely on generators to fill the breach, but fuel for these units also has become exceedingly scarce, leaving most people to resort to candles.
It is widely believed that Hamas has diverted some of the fuel Israel has delivered for its own use.
In other violence, nine Palestinians were shot on Saturday in the West Bank during clashes with Israeli troops after youths hurled rocks and firebombs at army jeeps, medics said.
An army spokeswoman said the violence in the town of Jaba broke out after Palestinian youths noticed that a military jeep had broken down. The attacks continued after reinforcements were called in and troops responded by firing live rounds in the air, rubber-coated bullets and tear gas, she said.
Palestinian security recently beefed up its forces in Jenin district to try disarm Palestinian militants who organize attacks on Israel. Palestinians say Israeli army incursions into the area are a hindrance. The issue has become a major point of contention in peace talks between the two sides.
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