Cairo, February 5:Gaza’s fuel supplies have dropped significantly due to the situation in Egypt, causing serious problems for Palestinians living in the territory.
Tel Aviv frequently shuts the borders of Gaza, and Israeli courts have also reduced the regular fuel quota entering the Gaza Strip for no given reason.
In addition, the fuel and other badly needed supplies that used to be brought in through the underground tunnels between Gaza and Egypt have stopped coming.
Fuel supplies dropped sharply at the beginning of the Egyptian revolution, but now there’s no fuel coming through the tunnels, a Press TV correspondent reported from Gaza on Friday.
On the first day of the Egyptian uprising, Gazans lined up at gas stations to try to collect as much fuel as possible, although there’s no way of knowing how long the limited stores of fuel will last.
The Gaza Fuel Importers Association says that reserves of diesel and gasoline in the Strip’s gas stations have run out completely.
Fuel is not just needed to keep vehicles on the road in the blockaded territory; it is also a basic necessity used to run domestic and industrial generators during the frequent power cuts, keep hospital equipment running, and heat up homes, workplaces, and schools.
Economists say that the depletion of fuel will have serious consequences for all aspects of life in Gaza.
Since 2006, when Israel imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, the tunnels along the border with Egypt have been something of a life-line for the besieged enclave. They have been used to import foodstuffs and other essential supplies.
Now with no fuel coming through the underground passageways, Palestinians in Gaza fear some tough days could lie ahead, although a limited amount of fuel is allowed in through an Israeli crossing.
Experts say that the depletion of fuel will exacerbate the problems of Gaza’s stagnant economy and will increase unemployment and the poverty rate in the besieged territory.
–Agencies