After a widespread international outcry followed Israel's cut-off of all fuel into Gaza on Sunday, Israeli authorities agreed to allow fuel and medicine into the Palestinian coastal region on Tuesday only. The Palestinian leadership in Gaza immediately condemned the Israeli decision as a mere token gesture that would not even begin to deal with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Several Palestinian patients in Gaza hospitals died Sunday night after Israeli fuel cuts forced the Gaza power plant to stop operating completely. Prior to that, Palestinians in Gaza had been able to get several hours of electricity per day, in shifts, due to the low supply of fuel.
Taher al-Nunu, a spokesperson of the Hamas government in Gaza, stated that the fuel shipment that Israel will allow to cross the sealed border on Tuesday is completely insufficient, and a temporary measure that would be completely inadequate to deal with an ongoing crisis.
Al-Nunu added that the only reason that Israeli authorities agreed to even this small concession was the pressure from international governments, particularly those from the Arab world.
Israeli forces remain in complete control of all Gaza borders, and have sealed the borders even to severe humanitarian cases. Over 20 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the last week alone, and the number in each week prior to that for the last year has been similarly high.
