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Why some Palestinians don't trust new electricity deal with Israel

The Palestinian Authority and Israel signed an agreement to partially solve the electricity problem Palestinians have been suffering from for years.
A Palestinian woman hangs a torch inside her house during power cuts at Shatti (beach) refugee camp in Gaza City September 15, 2015. Power has been provided to different areas in the impoverished coastal territory in six-hour shifts as Gaza's lone power plant shut its generators on Saturday due to a fuel shortage, energy officials said. Electricity is also supplied to the Gaza grid through power lines from Israel and Egypt. Gaza's plant provides electricity to two-thirds of its population. REUTERS/Mohammed
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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority have reached an agreement under which the PA will begin paying its massive debt to Israel Electric Corp. (IEC), which in turn will forgive part of the debt. The agreement also will allow for competitive internet service in the West Bank.

Hussein al-Sheikh, the chairman of the Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs, said in a Sept. 14 press release that the deal will affect the organization of the energy and communication sectors in Palestine. Wataniya Mobile will begin operating in the Gaza Strip, 3G wireless internet access will be activated in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip by the end of 2016, and the Palestinian government will assume management of the electricity sector.

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