I checked recently our local media Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish), and found an article with heading: “The sole power plant of blocked Gaza is closed” where numbers turned totally wrong: they wrote that Gaza power plant produces 65% of electricity rest come from Egypt and Israel. Other media sources providing totally different numbers:

While Gazans are undoubtedly suffering, the dark picture painted by the mainstream media is different from the reality. As the Israel’s Foreign Ministry notes, the supply of electricity to Gaza from the Israel and the Egyptian power grids (124 Megawatts and 17 Megawatts respectively) has continued uninterrupted. These 141 Megawatts of power represents about three quarters of Gaza’s electricity needs.

Source: Honest Reporting

Israel Electric Company workers’ committee chairman Miko Zarfati goes further:

“This is Palestinian spin. No one has stopped the supply of electricity to the Strip,” Zarfati told Ynet. He claimed that his employees worked day and night in a power plant in Ashkelon while putting themselves in danger of being hit by Qassam rockets falling in the area.

The Gaza power plant only produces 30% of the electricity consumed in the Strip while Israel supplies the rest.

“It is simply offensive and arrogant for them to claim that there is shortage,” Zarfati said….

“The situation is totally absurd. We’re continuing to supply them electricity despite the (demand) overload for electricity in Israel and despite the fact that Israeli residents and Electric Company workers that are being sent to Gaza Vicinity communities are under threat from Qassam rockets,” Zarfati railed.

Ha’aretz also reports that despite the blackout in Gaza City, southern and central Gaza – which receive electricity from Israel and Egypt directly – were not affected by the shutdown.

What numbers are right? Provided by Helsingin Sanomat or by other meda? Does Helsingin Sanomat reporters need to check their sources carefully before publishing such influential articles?

I have contacted Helsingin Sanomat by email asking to check out the facts and adjust article if needed. They didn’t answer me yet.

Picture and caption: Honest Reporting