By Xinhua,
Gaza : Palestinian gas union on Monday rejected a request from Hamas to receive fuel that accumulated in the depots at Nahal Oz crossing in eastern Gaza city sending by Israel.
“We refuse to get these trivial amounts because the Israeli side did not meet its promise to deliver more gas and petrol,” said Mahmoud al-Khozendar, vice-president of the Petrol Station Owners Association.
Members of the deposed Hamas government on Sunday met with the representatives of the gas union and asked them to end the on-going strike.
Hamas sources said the request was made after Israel informed Egypt and American officials that the fuel deliveries will resume when the Palestinians withdraw the accumulated amounts at Nahal Oz.
After more than one month of strike, about 1 million liter of vehicle diesel and gasoline accumulated at the Palestinian depots at Nahal Oz, the only crossing to pipe the fuel into Gaza. “There are 14 reservoirs of diesel and 3 reservoirs of benzene,” al-Khozendar said.
The union said the reduced amounts were insufficient and will be difficult to distribute them to the gas stations.
“The gas tankers at Nahal Oz can contain 900 tons but they are empty since April 9… Gaza needs 350 tons of the cooking gas everyday,” said al-Khozendar.
Mahmoud al-Shawa, president of the union, expected that the strike will be suspended on Tuesday “and diesel and benzene will be brought following the positive signs from the Israeli side.”
Israel said more fuel will be allowed into Gaza when the Palestinian depots have space. However, al-Shawa said “the information still unconfirmed and Israel may take back the decision.”
Israel reduced fuel shipments to Gaza last September, three months after the Islamic Hamas movement seized control of the coastal Strip by force. It stopped sending cooking gas on April 9 as two Israeli workers at Nahal Oz were killed in a Palestinian attack.
On Sunday, 1 million liter of the EU-funded industrial diesel was allowed into Gaza for its only power plant, according to al-Khozendar.