Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided Monday against renewing fuel supplies to Gaza in view of the fact that Palestinian Authority terrorists in the region continued to fire rockets at the western Negev.
The Hamas terrorist organization that controls Gaza claimed that the Gaza City power station, which supplies 25 percent of the region's electricity, would cease operations and leave residents and hospitals without power if Israel did not resume the deliveries by noon.
Israel pumps 581,200 gallons of diesel fuel into Gaza through the Nahal Oz terminal each week, paid for by the European Union.
However, two pipelines from Egypt into Gaza that began operating about four weeks ago currently pump an estimated 120,000 liters of diesel fuel into the region each day, according to media reports.
At least 65 percent of the region's electricity comes over lines from Israel's national grid. A small amount also comes from Egypt.
Gaza terrorists launched two Kassam rocket attacks and a mortar attack on southern Israel on Monday.
In the early afternoon, two rockets were fired from northern Gaza. One rocket exploded on the outskirts of Sderot. The second slammed into an open field in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council district.
In the morning, a separate Kassam rocket was launched toward Kibbutz Kfar Aza from northern Gaza, but failed to reach the mark, landing instead inside PA territory.
Earlier, Gaza terrorists also fired a mortar shell at the Kissufim checkpoint but that attack also failed to make it into Jewish territory.
A Kassam rocket was also fired at the western Negev from northern Gaza late Sunday night. The rocket exploded in an open field in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council district and did not injure anyone.
Barak is expected to meet with security officials Monday evening to assess the situation.