Gaza militants continue pressure against Israeli army, while Israel knocks out Gaza’s sole power plant and destroys homes of Hamas leaders.
Early Tuesday morning, an official from the Palestinian Energy Authority in Gaza confirmed that overnight Israeli shelling had knocked out the only power plant supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip.
According to the statement by Fathi al-Sheikh Khalil, ‘Gaza’s sole power-plant has stopped working due to Israeli shelling last night, which damaged the steam generator and later hit the fuel tanks which set them on fire.’ Reports confirmed that wild fires had broken out near the plant early this morning. An AFP reporter noted that fire-fighters had not been able to reach the area.
Extensive damage to civilian infrastructure has been caused by the ongoing Israeli offensive. Sheikh Khalil went on to say that many of the supply lines from Israel have been knocked out in the recent fighting. Gaza’s sea port also experienced a barrage of Israeli air and naval strikes early this morning.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader, the Grand Ayatollah Khameini who has been very vocal in recent days, made a provocative speech to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the festival of Eid al-Fitr. Khameini accused Israel’s leaders of committing a genocide in Gaza. He described Israel as acting like a ‘rabid dog’ and a ‘wild wolf’ calling the ongoing situation in Gaza ‘a catastrophe of historical scale.’
His comments come after mass demonstrations were held all across Iran last Friday in a show of support for the Palestinian groups resisting their occupier, Israel.
‘They (Israel) have been pounding innocent people day and night,’ he exclaimed, ‘and these men, women and children are defending themselves with the minimum means.’ Over 1000 Gazans have now been killed in the 22-day long Operation Protective Edge in the isolated enclave. They are ‘a people surrounded in a small place with closed borders, unsure of having water and electricity, this population faces an armed enemy,’ he said of the Palestinians fighting the Gaza Strip, ‘The people resist unabated. This is a lesson for all.’
Continue reading at AIC.
