Belgium demands compensation from Israel for destroying power network

BRUSSELS, Oct 2 (KUNA) -- Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders Thursday summoned the Israeli ambassador to condemn the destruction of a power network by Israel in a village in the West Bank which was funded with Belgian money.
"I have asked the Israeli ambassador to come to the ministry especially to condemn what has happened and to ask for compensation," Reynders told the Flanders TV (VRT).
"We need an EU initiative to stop these acts not only which are directed against Belgian projects but against projects of other countries," he said.
A spokesman for the aid organisation Oxfam told VRT that the network was built in 2007 with Belgian aid.
It supplies power to a community of Palestinian shepherds in a village nearby.
Last Monday, Israeli soldiers destroyed the power network together with 70 electricity poles and power cables of 4.5 kilometers.
He said that the first Israeli demolition order of the power network was issued in 2008 followed by another in March of this year and the destruction went ahead last Monday despite Belgian diplomatic efforts to stop it.
Palestinian authorities tried to repair the netwok but this was prevented by the Israeli army.
VRT said the demolition has dramatic consequences on the local people who now do not have any electricity. The shepherds produce diary products and they face a big problem for the cooling of cheese and yoghurt.
Oxfam wants Belgium to seek damages of 55,000 euro to repair the network.
According to Israel, the permits were not in order, but Oxfam rejected the Israeli excuse as a "fallacy". (end) nk.sd