Gasoline shipments financed by Qatar entered the Gaza Strip on Monday to provide power to the city’s sole electricity station for the first time since last month’s 11-day war between Israel and Hamas authorities, according to Doha News.
After receiving approval from Israel, the UN’s Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland announced the decision to allow the Qatar-funded fuel to enter the Gaza Strip.
“Under the UN framework, Qatari-funded fuel deliveries for Gaza Power Plant will resume tomorrow, as per the agreement between the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and Qatar. I welcome all steps taken to de-escalate the situation. The UN will continue to work with all concerned to solidify a ceasefire and help the people of Gaza,” Wennesland stated in a tweet on Sunday.
The entry of the fuel financed by a Gulf state will also be “conditioned on the preservation of security stability,” according to the Israeli military organization, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) that oversees civilian affairs in Gaza.
The current developments follow previous claims that Israel had, for more than a month, refused to allow Qatar-funded fuel and financial aid into Gaza.
Gaza has been suffering from an Israeli embargo since 2006. Under harsh conditions, electricity shortage is one of the essential problems. Most of the electricity flow is controlled by Israel. Residents receive electricity in eight-hour rotations as a result of the limited access.
Qatar has given money to Gaza since 2018 to pay for fuel subsidies, government salaries, and stipends for low-income households. In January 2021 Qatar also said that it planned to donate $360 million in monetary help to the residents of Gaza.
