Egypt: Egypt to Send More Electricity to Gaza

Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity will increase the electricity it exports to the Gaza Strip, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

The ministry plans to increase the electricity portion from 22 to 30 megawatts within the next two weeks, said Minister of Electricity Mahmoud Balbaa.

The Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas whose roots can be traced back to the Muslim Brotherhood movement. Thus, analysts predicted that relations between Egypt and Gaza would boost after the election of President Mohamed Mursi who also belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Anti-Brotherhood forces have declared their opposition to the increase, arguing that it conflicts with Egypt’s domestic electricity shortage.

Sources from the electricity ministry responded insisting that the electricity exported to Gaza represents a minor percentage of Egypt’s domestic production.

Meanwhile, in a statement before Turkish leaders on Sunday, Egypt’s president stated that the Gaza border will remain open to provide Gazans with necessary supplies and services, including food, medicine, education and family reunions.

Copyright © 2012 Aswat Masriya. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.