CBNNews.com - On Wednesday, Israeli and Egyptian officials roughed out a deal that would transfer Gaza's electrical power supply from Israel to Egypt.

Omar Katana, chairman of the Palestinian Energy Committee, said Egypt's $35 million plan would be underwritten by the Saudi Islamic Development Bank, which planned to issue tenders within a few days.

Construction of power lines stretching from el-Arish in the Sinai to the Gaza Strip will take an estimated two years.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the plans have been in the making for some time. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who would like to see Israel sever ties with the Gaza Strip, approved the plan.

Meanwhile, Gazans have continued to seek medical treatment in Israel. Since the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, some 5,000 Palestinian residents and their families from the Gaza Strip have been treated at Israeli medical facilities.

Everyday, some 100 trucks laden with food supplies enter Gaza through the Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings.

And Egypt has added sniper positions and guard posts to the new border wall it's building at the Rafah crossing to replace the wall that was blown up in January.

Source: Haaretz