By Xinhua,
Gaza : The United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees called on Gaza militant groups on Saturday to stop armed attacks on Gaza border crossings.
Adnan Abu Hassna, UNRWA spokesman in Gaza, told reporters that his organization appealed to Palestinian militants to stop targeting the crossings and exert efforts to convince Israel to allow fuel shipments into Gaza to avoid a humanitarian crisis.
“Security at crossing is so important, and there shouldn’t be any armed attack in order to enable UNRWA to let fuel and food supplies enter Gaza,” said Abu Hassna.
“The current efforts focus on urging Israel to resume fuel shipment and food supplies into the Gaza Strip and in the meantime, getting militant groups’ assurance that there will be no attacks on the crossings,” said Abu Hassna.
Recently, Gaza militant groups have carried out a series of armed attacks on the Nahal Oz depot, the only terminal to pipe fuel into Gaza, and the crossing of Kerem Shalom used for delivering food supplies.
Israel gradually reduced fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip after Hamas took over the territory by force last summer, in a bid to pressure militants to halt rocket attacks into the Jewish state.
Israel completely withheld fuel shipments on April 9 when Palestinian militants attacked Nahal Oz crossing. Due to the fuel crisis, the UNRWA has halted food distribution for 650,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Industry, agriculture, hospitals as well as water pumping and sewage were badly influenced by the crisis, while over 85 percent of traffic had stopped.
The Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, had proposed in coordination with Egypt a six-month ceasefire agreement with Israel. Egypt is planning to convey Hamas’ truce proposal to Israel next week.