Gaza to stop import of electrical appliances from Israel
Published 29 December 2014 15:55
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=750493

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority of Gaza
has decided to stop importing batteries and electrical appliances from
Israel.

The group said in the statement that authority head Kenan Obeid and the
Deputy Minister of Economy agreed during a meeting to stop importing
batteries and electrical appliances from Israel, especially refrigerators,
washing machines, computers and television screens.

The statement said that the batteries and electrical appliances have
negative effects on the Palestinian environment and importing them helps
build up dangerous Israeli solid waste in Palestine, in addition to the fact
that these appliances consume double the amount of power as the
alternatives.

The Environmental Quality Authority also said in the statement that the fees
of importing these appliances are "only beneficial" to Israel.

The Gaza Strip and it's 1.8 million inhabitants have been under Israeli
siege for nearly eight years, with all imports and exports as well as the
movement of people restricted by Israeli authorities with Egyptian
collusion.

Gaza is thus dependent on the small amount of goods Israel does allow to
decide to enter the Strip, meaning that finding alternatives to Israeli
goods is extremely difficult.

This difficulty is compounded by the collapse of Gazan industry as a result
of the siege, which has forced the majority of manufacturing enterprises to
shut down due to lack of ability to export goods or import supplies.