In a tragic new incident, the electricity and fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has been exacerbated by Israel’s siege and the Palestinian internal political split, led to the death of three Palestinian children in Gaza yesterday.
  The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights calls for an immediate end to the Israeli siege and for swift resolution of the Palestinian political split.
At approximately 7:30 pm on 1 April 2012, in the town of Deir Al Balah in Middle Gaza district, a fire broke out in a family apartment inside a room where three children were sleeping.
  All three children died and the apartment was completely destroyed by the fire.
  The children’s mother and six-month-old sister survived.
  According to information gathered by Al Mezan’s field workers, the children’s mother had lit a candle in their room, located on the upper floor apartment of the family home, because the electricity was off.
  The room’s contents were accidentally ignited and the room consumed in flames.
  The children died due to severe burns and lack of oxygen due to smoke inhalation.
  The deceased are: Sabry Raed Basheer, 4; Nadine Raed Basheer, 7; and Farah Raed Basheer, 5.
When she noticed the fire, the mother screamed for help, and many people from the family and neighbors rushed into the house.
  They were able to enter the burning room through the windows and remove the children.
  The youngest sister, Reem, was rescued in time and is the only surviving child in the family.
  The children were taken to Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah, where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
  The mother suffered severe psychological shock.
Residents of the neighborhood where the incident occurred informed Al Mezan that the electricity had been cut off at 2:00 pm on the day of the tragedy, Sunday 1 April 2012.
  Power outages last for twelve hours and are followed by six hours of electricity.
  The power cuts are the result of the lack of fuel, which is needed to operate the only power plant in the Gaza Strip.
  The fuel shortage has existed since 14 February 2012, when fuel supplies in Gaza almost completely ran out.
  Gazan residents have subsequently had to use simple means for lighting.
  Small electricity generators, which are commonly found around the Strip, frequently cannot be run due to the fuel shortage.
  It should be noted that accidents associated with the widespread use of such generators during power cuts had led to the death of dozens of people in Gaza during the past few years.
The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its deep sorrow at the death of the three children in this incident, and sends its condolences to the bereaved family.
  Al Mezan also strongly condemns Israel’s siege on Gaza, which has now been imposed for roughly five years.
  The restrictions imposed under the siege include limitations on the volume of fuel imports, leading to the general shortfall in power supply around the Strip.
  In 2010, the Gazan government modified the turbines of the Strip’s sole power plant to operate on diesel fuel smuggled into Gaza from Egypt via underground tunnels, but that source of energy has recently been cut.
  Israel’s siege on Gaza continues, despite its general international condemnation and the widespread outcry against it.
  Al Mezan therefore calls on the international community to act swiftly to bring a comprehensive end to the siege, including by taking measures to secure the uninterrupted supply of fuel, medicine, food, and construction materials to Gaza.
Al Mezan also holds the Palestinian governments in Ramallah and Gaza responsible for their role in exacerbating the already-deteriorated human rights and humanitarian conditions in Gaza, particularly with respect to the difficulties that have resulted from the lack of electricity and fuel in recent weeks.
  The two governments must act responsibly and act without any delay to end their serious differences, which continue to claim lives and inflict pain on ordinary people in Gaza.
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