Egypt slams Israeli decision to cut back supplies to Gaza

Egypt has condemned the Israeli decision to tighten vital daily supplies, such as electricity and fuel, for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In a statement issued in the day, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said his country rejected the threats of the Israeli authorities to punish the Palestinians living in the Strip. Such measures contradict the humanitarian law of the international community and deprive the Palestinians of their basic rights stipulated in the international human rights charters, said the spokesman. Urging the international community to exert more efforts to lift Israel's punitive measures, Zaki said the Jewish state should take measures to give hope for the Palestinians that the current Israeli-Palestinian talks would be fruitful. In order to curb escalating rocket attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday approved cut of electricity and fuel supply against the Palestinians in Gaza, which was criticized by the international community as "collective punishment." On Monday, Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz decided that the plan to cut back energy and fuel supply to Gaza can't be implemented at the moment, Israeli daily the Jerusalem Post reported on its website.