Israel has agreed to allow two fuel trucks per day into the Gaza Strip, following significant pressure from the United States. According to a US State Department official, approximately 140,000 litres of fuel will be permitted entry every two days.
The majority of this fuel is designated for aid delivery trucks and to assist the United Nations in providing water and sanitation services. The remaining fuel will be used to restore mobile phone and internet services, which were previously disrupted due to fuel shortages.
The communications provider in Gaza announced on November 17 that its services were resuming after receiving some fuel via Unrwa, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees. The US official revealed that Washington applied considerable pressure on Israel to finalize this fuel agreement.
Although the agreement was reached in principle weeks ago, it was delayed by Israel due to two reasons. Israeli officials informed the US that fuel had not actually depleted in southern Gaza, and they also wanted to negotiate a hostage deal first.
The head of Unrwa warned on November 16 that the agency might have to suspend all its activities due to the fuel shortage. The agency’s latest report stated that it requires “160,000 litres of fuel every day for basic humanitarian operations”, which is more than double the agreed amount.
An Israeli official stated that the new fuel allowance would be delivered through the Rafah crossing to the civilian population in the southern Gaza Strip via the UN, on the condition that it does not reach Hamas. The fuel is expected to provide minimal support to water, sewage, and sanitation systems to prevent potential epidemics.
International organizations have expressed serious concerns about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of “worrying trends” in disease spread in Gaza, where fuel shortages and Israeli bombardment have severely disrupted healthcare and sanitation facilities.
On November 17, Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative in the Palestinian Territories, reported that more than 70,000 cases of acute respiratory infections and over 44,000 cases of diarrhoea had been recorded, figures significantly higher than expected.
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