The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) apologizes for the unintended wrong figures included in its position paper issued on 27 June 2010, titled "Position Paper on Aggravation of Electricity Crisis in the Gaza Strip," with regard to the money transfers from the Electricity Distribution Company in the Gaza Strip to the Energy and Natural Resources in Ramallah. PCHR points out the mistakes are concerned with currencies (using NIS instead of US$), which led to wrong conclusions, which PCHR will correct in the original paper. In the paper, PCHR stated that according to information obtained from the Financial Officer of the Electricity Distribution Company in Gaza, the total money transfers from the company in Gaza to the Palestinian Energy Authority in Ramallah has been 22 million NIS since the beginning of this year, instead of US $22 million. Accordingly, PCHR concluded that the company has a surplus of 68.75 million NIS, after discounting operational expenditures.

A PCHR researcher conducted an interview on Wednesday, 30 June 2010, with Mr. Hani Slaman, Financial Officer of the Electricity Distribution Company, and obtained a list of all money transfers to the Palestinian Energy and National Resources Authority in Ramallah. According to the list, the total money transfers until 27 June 2010 were US $22 million, not 22 million NIS. Consequently, the company does not have any financial savings in Gaza, as it transfers all the money collected from beneficiaries to the Energy Authority after discounting the operation expenditures, which amount to 4 million NIS monthly. The company transferred 92,790,097 million NIS (87% of the money collected from beneficiaries) to the Energy Authority between 1 January and 29 June 2010. It also spent 13,739,508 on operational activities. 

PCHR emphasizes that it has obtained all official documents of money transfers from the Electricity Distribution Company to the Energy Authority in Ramallah, the most recent of which were on 29 June 2010, in the form of two separate payments of 3.9 million NIS and 3.85 NIS. 

PCHR welcomes the resumption of the operation of Gaza Power Plant on Wednesday, 30 June 2010, after it was supplied with 94,000 liters of industrial fuel. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) closed Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing for several hours, which obstructed the entry of an equal amount of industrial fuel into the Gaza Strip. According to sources from the Energy Authority in Gaza, this morning, 1 July 2010, Israeli forces have allowed 230,000 liters of industrial fuel into the Gaza Strip, and an additional amount is being supplied soon. 

PCHR reiterates its position with regard to the electricity crisis, as explained in its press releases and workshops organized since last February. PCHR calls upon all concerned parties in Gaza and Ramallah to fulfill the requirements of the agreement reached last April under the auspices of national figures and factions, by which the Electricity Distribution Company in Gaza shall transfer at least US $4 million monthly to the Energy Authority in Ramallah as a contribution to the costs of industrial fuel and the Energy Authority shall provide the necessary industrial fuel.  

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