Fuel arrives in Gaza to ease power crisis

Fuel has started arriving in the Gaza Strip as a result of a deal between the territory’s Hamas-led government and the rival Palestinian Authority.

 Raid Futuh, co-ordinator of the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, said tankers of Israeli diesel had begun arriving on Wednesday. He said 430,000 litres of fuel for Gaza’s sole power plant were expected. Gaza has been affected by severe power cuts for months, and the plant closed 10 days ago because of a lack of fuel. Hamas decided more than a year ago to use fuel smuggled from Egypt to run the power station, rather than pay for diesel from Israel, which is more expensive and subject to restrictions.