The sole power plant in the Gaza Strip was shut down on Saturday due to shortage of fuel needed to operate it, an official in the Hamas-run Energy Authority said.

Deputy chairman of Gaza's Energy Authority Fathi Sheikh Khalil told Xinhua that the plant has run out of fuel due to the Israeli closure of its only commercial crossing with Gaza since Thursday.

Israel closed Kerem Shalom commercial crossing with Gaza after Palestinian militants fired tens of missiles into Israel last week.

The crossing will remain closed until Sunday when the Jewish holiday of Purim ends.

"After the plant got idle, power will be off for 12 hours, and comes only for six hours every day," said Sheikh Khalil.

Before Saturday's halt of the power station, electricity was cut every day for eight hours.

The power plant resumed operation last September after Qatar pledged to supply Gaza with industrial fuel for three months following a 45-day halt caused by fuel shortage.



Since Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza in 2007, the enclave has severely suffered from shortage of fuel supply and a ban on importing materials for the sole power plant that was damaged in an Israeli air raid in 2006.

The Egyptian army's crackdown on hundreds of smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt since last June has cut supplies of cheap fuel used for running the power plant.

The Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has also stopped sending fuel due to differences with Hamas movement over taxes.

The coastal strip needs around 380 megawatts of electricity for overcoming the crisis and Gaza's power plant provides around one third of the needed power.

The remaining electricity supplies that come directly from Israel and Egypt cover around 60 percent of the needs of Gaza's 1. 7 million residents.