By Xinhua,
Gaza : Israel started to increase fuel shipments into the Gaza Strip, one month after the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish states took effect, Palestinian officials said on Monday.
Mujahed Salama, director of the Palestinian Petroleum Agency, said the weekly amount of Benzene allowed into Gaza has risen to 120,000 liters last week from 75,000 liters. Vehicle diesel has also increased to 1.2 million liters per week compared with the 888,000 liters before.
“These are the figures of last week and the amount of industrial diesel for the power plant will increase this week to 2.9 million liters instead of 2.2 million liters,” Salama added.
Israel sharply reduced fuel deliveries into Gaza last year; three months after Hamas took over Gaza by force last June, to put pressure on the Islamic movement to stop rocket attacks on Israeli communities near Gaza.
The cutbacks caused transportation crisis in the coastal enclave and the only power station here halted for several times due to the lack of fuel.
A ceasefire deal intended to ease Gaza blockade and stop violence between Israel and Gaza militants took effect on June 19,but Hamas said Israel did not open crossing points into Gaza properly despite the deal.
Mahmoud al-Shawa, director of the union of Gaza gas station owners said there will be amendments on the fuel distributing mechanisms to match the increase of the shipments.
However, he said that the recent increase was insufficient at all. “Gaza needs 350,000 liters of Benzene every week,” he said.