Israel has agreed for a 140,000 litres of fuel supply to Gaza every two days after a request from the US. The development came on the same day first fuel trucks entered Gaza from Rafah border in accordance with the previous agreement. Since the outbreak of Israel-Hamas war, there has been extreme shortage of fuel in the Gaza Strip owing to Israeli blockade. The shortage threatened to derail aid deliveries and caused ‘communication blackout’ in the Palestinian enclave.
Reuters cited a US State Department official who said that Israel had agreed to allow supply of 120,000 litres of fuel every 48 hours for United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) aid trucks and also for sewage pumping, desalination of water, running bakeries and hospitals.
An additional 20,000 litres will be allowed every two day for generators of telecom company Paltel which is working to restore telecommunication.
The decision to allow fuel into Gaza is unpopular among some members of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition but there has been intense international pressure following rising civilian death toll and worsening conditions in Gaza Strip.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli war cabinet members on phone on Wednesday and warned them about humanitarian catastrophe stemming from acute shortage of fuel.
In the wake of recent decisions, there have been comments from within Netanyahu government expressing displeasure. Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister deemed decsion to allow fuel into Gaza a serious mistake.
“It conveys weakness, it gives oxygen into the enemy,” he said in a statement.
Israel has been resisting calls to allow fuel into Gaza Strip saying that there was chance that Hamas fighters will seize it and use it for military purposes.
Hamas fighters crossed border into southern Israel and launched an attack on October 7 killing 1200 people and abducting more than 200. Israel has since then responded with overwhelming military response with thousands of air raids. Ground attacks were initiated inside Gaza Strip by Israeli tank and troops.
Earlier this week, Israeli troop entered Al-Shifa hospital, the biggest hospital n Gaza City. Israel has been alleging that Hamas has a command centre inside the hospital, a charge Hamas denies. But after US substantiated Israel’s claims by endorsing them citing US intelligence, Israeli troops entered the hospital.
The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip has said that Israeli military campaign has so far killed at least 12,000 people which include 5000 children.
(With inputs from agencies)
