Israel's top court has upheld a government decision to reduce the Gaza Strip's fuel imports, but postponed planned electricity cuts to the Hamas-ruled territory, Israeli officials said on Friday.
Israel began reducing the amount of fuel oil, diesel and petrol allowed into Gaza last month as part of economic sanctions ordered in response to Palestinian rocket salvoes. The government said it would also begin cutting power on December 2.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Western leaders warned Israel against imposing illegal "collective punishment" on Gaza's 1.5 million largely aid-dependent residents. Human rights groups appealed to Israel's High Court to intervene.
The court, ruling late on Thursday, found in favour of the government's argument that fuel supplies for vital activities such as running Gaza's sole power plant would be maintained. "We are convinced that, for now, there is no need to issue a stay ... especially as the (government) respondents undertook from the outset to ensure that the (fuel) reductions do not cause humanitarian harm," the panel of three justices wrote.
But the court demanded that the government explain further its plan to cut electricity supplies to Gaza, extending deliberations on those sanctions by at least 19 days. Israel had planned to begin power cuts on Sunday. But senior Defence Ministry official Shlomo Dror told Reuters the measure would be postponed "until the High Court has its final say".
The Israeli sanctions have coincided with efforts by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas to revive peace talks at this week's international conference in Annapolis, Maryland. Israel withdrew troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but continues to control all its imports. Cutting utilities is preferable to mounting a bloody invasion to stop Palestinian militants firing makeshift short-range rockets, Israel says.