VOA标准英语2008年-International Outcry Calls for End to Israeli B

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
21 January 2008

There is growing concern from the international community about the four-day Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, after the territory's only power station shut down for lack of fuel. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has phoned Israeli leaders to warn them of the deteriorating¹ humanitarian² situation in Gaza. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.

The blockade of Gaza is sparking anger and concern from Arab states and elsewhere.

Gaza City has been plunged³ into darkness as the territory's only power station has shut down for lack of fuel. Hospitals in the city are running on generators⁴, but their fuel supplies are reportedly running low.

Although fuel deliveries from Israel have been halted and the power station in Gaza city shut down, Israel supplies about 70 percent of Gaza's electricity, and has not cut off that service. Israel says it imposed the blockade to try to halt rocket attacks against its territory from Gaza.

The blockade has been criticized by Egypt and Jordan, the only two Arab countries to sign peace deals with Israel, as well as by other states in the region, including Syria, Lebanon and Kuwait. The Arab League held an emergency session to ask the international community to increase pressure on Israel to lift the blockade.

There were protests in Jordan and Lebanon in support of Hamas, which has run the Gaza Strip since violently taking power there in June.

The Egyptian government said President Hosni Mubarak telephoned the Israeli prime minister and defense⁵ minister to warn them of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry⁶ Spokesman Hossam Zaki told VOA Mr. Mubarak called for the lifting of the siege.

"The president demanded that Israel stops the action that it has taken against the strip," he said. "We view this action as collective punishment that is contrary to the Geneva Convention ... The Israelis have to cease this action immediately and resume the fueling of the electricity stations so that the humanitarian situation does not deteriorate⁷ into a total catastrophe⁸."

The European Union external relations commissioner⁹, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, urged Israel to allow shipments of fuel and medicine, and to open border crossings.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he will not let a humanitarian catastrophe unfold, but he says Gaza's 1.5 million residents should not be able to live, what he called, "a pleasant and comfortable life" as long as southern Israel comes under rocket attack from Gaza.

Hamas leader in Gaza and former Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya called for the government to throw open the Egyptian border with Gaza.

There were reports of a protest on the Palestinian side of the border.

The Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman insisted that Egypt's border with Gaza was not the issue.

Speaking in Damascus, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal addressed himself directly to President Mubarak.

Meshaal called on the Egyptian leader to tell Israel and the United States that the siege of Gaza must end. If the territory's electricity is not restored, he said, Egypt will bear responsibility for the people of Gaza.

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

4 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

8 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

9 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。