Gaza power plant
Photo: AFP
Report: Hamas wants fuel, commodities only via Egypt
Hamas officials in Gaza instruct gas station owners to stop selling petrol, diesel fuel to encourage protests against Egyptian government, to pressure Cairo to be sole supplier to Gaza instead of Israel
Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip have instructed gas station owners to stop selling petrol and diesel fuel
in order to enrage the local Palestinians and encourage them to riot against the Egyptian government. The terror organization wishes to pressure Egypt to supply Gaza with fuel without preconditions, reported Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper on Saturday.
Hamas officials, such as Mahmoud Askoul, Palestinian Authority's Secretary General, and Yossef Raska, advisor to Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh, have publically criticized Egypt for besieging the Gaza Strip and intentionally preventing the transfer of fuel and diesel oil, in order to bring Hamas' leadership to its knees.
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Gaza officials added that "the same Hamas government officials, who control the Strip, have decided to take advantage of Egypt's current situation and its failure to implement the Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, in order to base the division between Gaza and West Bank once and for all, and to push Israel to close all the crossings between the West Bank and the Strip, including Erez, Sufa, Karni and Kerem Shalom."
Palestinians wait for fuel (Photo: EPA)
Sources stated that Hamas' long-term goal is to solely relay on fuel and commodities from Egypt. The same sources claimed Egypt recently informed Hamas' leaders and the Palestinian Energy Authority that Israel has denied any intent to hinder its fuel supply to Gaza. The Egyptians have made it clear that any fuel shipments will only pass though Israel's crossings, but Hamas insists on receiving their supplies only through Rafah crossing.
Egyptian officials have tried time and time again to convince the Hamas government that Israel is obligated by international law to supply Gaza with fuel, but the terror group keeps insisting on dismissing Israel from such commitments.
Some 450,000 liters of diesel fuel was transferred on Friday from Israel to Gaza. The fuel which was purchased from Dor Alon and which is designated for Gaza's private sector was ordered by private companies in Gaza.
Palestinian sources noted that for the first time the Palestinian Authority would pay for the fuel supply, following a decision made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The fuel infusion would allow the Gaza power plant to operate at full capacity for the first time in over a month.
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