The fuel that arrived today in the Gaza Strip, through Egypt, to be used in the distribution of humanitarian aid, “is not enough,” lamented the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), confirming a first delivery .
Just over 23 thousand liters of gasoline were delivered, “but its use was restricted by the Israeli authorities, [e vai ser] “It is only used to transport humanitarian aid,” lamented Thomas White, director of UNRWA in Gaza, in a text published on the social network X, highlighting that “there is no gasoline to run the water supply or hospitals.”
“This is only 9% of what we need daily to maintain operations and save lives,” said the same official.
It has just received 23,027 LT of fuel from Egypt (half a tanker truck), but its use has been restricted by the Israeli authorities, only to transport aid from Rafah.
No fuel for water or hospitals
This is only 9% of what we need daily to maintain life-saving activities.@OOPS #Loop– Thomas White (@TomWhiteGaza) November 15, 2023
“Much more is needed. Fuel is used as a weapon of war and this must end,” he said, referring to the civilian casualties of Israel’s offensive against the enclave.
Israeli authorities had until now prevented fuel from entering the territory because they believed it could be diverted to fuel Hamas’ war machine.
“United Nations trucks transporting humanitarian aid across the Rafha border, in the south of the Gaza Strip, will receive fuel,” an organization dependent on the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced today in a message posted online. social
The same organization indicated that the decision was adopted “following a request from the United States.”
In recent weeks, UNRWA and several non-governmental organizations have been denouncing the lack of fuel, which is affecting humanitarian aid operations, in addition to causing electricity outages that affect hospitals, desalination plants, bakeries and other infrastructure in the enclave.
Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA commissioner, said Tuesday that “no fuel has entered Gaza since October 7.”
An Egyptian source at the Rafah border crossing, who requested anonymity, told the Spanish news agency EFE that more tankers from Egypt bound for the United Nations are expected to enter the Gaza Strip in the coming days. The information has not been officially confirmed by Israel.
The Islamist group Hamas, considered terrorist by the European Union (EU), the United States and Israel, carried out, on October 7, a surprise attack against Israel with the launch of thousands of rockets and the incursion of armed militiamen on the ground, sea and air, which left around 1,200 dead and more than 200 citizens kidnapped.
In response, Israel bombed from the air several Hamas infrastructures in the Gaza Strip, which it has controlled since 2007, and imposed a total siege on the territory, cutting off the supply of water, fuel and electricity.
Gaza authorities indicate that Israel’s response resulted in more than eleven thousand deaths among the territory’s civilian population.
Source: TSF
