Gazans Face Blackout Amid Clashes Between Hamas And Israeli Forces

Gaza City, Gaza Strip (AHN) - Palestinian militants in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have fired a mortar round into southern Israel and reportedly killing Israeli civilian, which prompted the Israeli forces to carry out air strikes killing five Hamas members.

Israeli officials have reported that the militants have fired 21 rockets and four mortars by late Saturday afternoon, hitting a house located in the border town of Sderot.

Israel raids on Gaza began Saturday that killed five Hamas members and four others were wounded after a police station in the city of Khan Yunis was attacked by Israeli aircraft.

Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip's only power plant was shut down on Saturday due to lack of fuel supplies, according to a Palestinian official.

"The power plant has been shut down because of lack of fuel. This means that half a million Palestinians do not have electricity because the plant produces 30 percent of the power in Gaza," the official told AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.

Israeli forces have been clashing with the Palestinian militants almost on a regular basis after Hamas took control of the Gaza in June last year.

The fight has caused several lives on both sides and the Palestinian people have suffered as they don't get proper food, fuel and other essential supplies.

Israeli government have denied of stopping the supply of fuel to the Gaza Strip.

"They are scheduled to be supplied tomorrow," Major Peter Lerner told AFP, adding that the amount depended on whether militants launched another attack on Gaza's main Nahal Oz fuel terminal.

"If they attack the crossings, as they have again this weekend, then obviously that limits how much fuel we can bring in," Lerner said, referring to recent rocket and mortar attacks.

After the region was left with no power, Egypt decided to open the Rafah border crossing for the first time in several months in order to allow many Gazans to receive medical treatment.

"We will transport 550 patients in 40 Palestinian ambulances and five trucks," Hassanein told AFP, adding that the patients include 200 people wounded in Israeli military operations and 70 children under the age of 16.