UN-Truth

Just back from the long Passover holiday, the Israeli State Attorney (Chief Prosecutor) has promised to write a letter to the Israeli human rights organization Gisha by today giving answers to questions about the provision of fuel to Gaza.

On Sunday, another one million liters of industrial diesel fuel was permitted to enter Gaza, and was delivered to Gaza’s only power plant – but that is enough for just three or four days operation.  Otherwise, the plant would have been out of fuel and would have had to shut down today.

Last week, one million liters of fuel for the plant was also delivered.

But, the Israeli military told the Israeli High Court of Justice (Supreme Court) at the end of January that it would deliver 2.2 million liters of fuel a week for the power plant.  Even this is not enough to operate two turbines at reduced capacity, and the electrical output has varied between 40-65 MW a day, according to quantities delivered, and demand for electricity.

The situation in the Gaza Strip is verging on anarchy.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority accuse Hamas of having a strategic plan to close down the border crossings, including Nahal Oz where all fuel is transferred to Gaza by the private Israeli Company, Dor Alon, under Palestinian Authority contract.

At the moment, the only fuel getting into Gaza is for the power plant.

The Association for Petroleum Companies in Gaza has refused to accept deliveries of restricted quantities of regular diesel fuel used for transport or for stand-by generators, or of gasoline/ benzene for automobiles.

As the IDF regularly complains, the Nahal Oz fuel storage is full to capacity with this undelivered fuel.

After the Hamas military coup against Fatah security forces in Gaza in mid-June 2007, the head of the Palestinian Gas and Petroleum Authority in the Ramallah-based Ministry of Finance, Mojahed Salama, asked the Association for Petroleum Companies in Gaza to be in charge of receiving and distributing the fuel transferred into Gaza.  The majority of the Ministry of Finance employees are unable to function in Gaza due to the current security situation, Salama said.

Mahmoud al-Shawwa, Head of the Association for Petroleum Companies in Gaza, said in an interview in Ramallah last week that the limited quantities Israel was allowing to enter was not enough – just 15 to 20% of the normal daily requirements for gasoline/benzene, and just 25-20% of regular diesel.

This caused problems for all the owners of gas stations in Gaza, Mr. Shawwa said – including security problems, because the supplies are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and there are no police who control the angry customers.  Sometimes, he said, there is even shooting at the gas stations.

So, the Association went on strike, and refused to accept the limited deliveries.

Fuel available on the black market is double and triple the price at the pumps, Mr. Shawwa explained – with regular diesel that normally sells for 5.35 NIS now selling for 10 NIS a liter, and benzene/gasoline that normally sells for 6 NIS going for up to 20 NIS.

The fuel being sold on the black market was brought into Gaza by Hamas after they destroyed the wall at the Rafah crossing in late January, Mr. Shawwa indicated.  He says that Hamas brought in two million liters of regular diesel, and 500,000 liters of benzene/gasoline.

Even that will not last too long, however.

Normal daily needs are for 200,000 liters of regular diesel fuel, Mr. Shawwa said, while the Israeli military authorized delivery of only 114,000 liters.  And normal daily needs for gasoline/benzene is 40-50,000 liters, while a supply of only 10-11,000 per day was permitted to enter.

“We are 1.5 million citizens in Gaza”, Mr. Shawwa said, “and Hamas are just a small part of these people.  But the problems are faced not by Hamas, but by the normal people who are suffering”.

Mr. Shawwa said he has sent many letters through the American Consulate in Jerusalem, addressed to the American government and people, asking them “to stand on the side of the people in Gaza … who are suffering because of Hamas – yet a few days ago former President Carter was sitting with Hamas – why?”.  He said he hopes that “the American people will open both their eyes, and see both the peoples of Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza Strip as well”.

Mr. Shawwa also said he told the Americans that “Hamas needs the suffering of the people – it’s the best situation for Hamas”.  And, he said, “we sent the same message to the Israeli side”.

Meanwhile, an attempt to transfer a limited quantity of fuel to UNRWA operations from the full Nahal Oz fuel storage facilities was blocked by Palestinian farmers and fisherman who say they need the fuel as well.

UNRWA has said it has no more fuel to carry out its food distributions in Gaza.  Palestinian refugees demonstrated in front of UNRWA’s Gaza headquarters on Sunday to protest the lack of food deliveries.

Reuters is reporting today that Hamas is now pleading with the Association for Petroleum Companies in Gaza to release the fuel that is blocked in storage in Nahal Oz,

And, Israel continues to accuse Hamas of being responsible for the situation.

Filed under: Gaza, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, Sanctions