Israel’s War Cabinet has agreed to allow two fuel tankers a day into the Gaza Strip following a U.S. request amid warnings by the United Nations of a growing possibility of widespread starvation in Gaza, Israel’s National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said on 17 November. Hanegbi said that the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) will allow 60,000 liters (15,850 gallons) a day — a quantity he described as “very minimal.” He also said that the decision to allow fuel tankers into Gaza was “taken due to [Israel’s] willingness to avoid the spread of pandemics.” The vast majority of the fuel will be used for water and sewage systems — which Hanegbi described as on the verge of collapsing — and will also be used by UNRWA trucks as well as for waste disposal, bakeries, and hospitals in southern Gaza, a US official told CNN. Around 20,000 liters will be used every 48 hours to power telecommunications company Paltel’s generators following the frequent complete communications shutdowns happening in Gaza due to the severe fuel shortage. The decision was criticized by various members of the Israeli government, and some…
Israel to Allow Two Trucks of Fuel a Day into Gaza, UN Warns of Starvation
November 18, 2023
