Fuel crisis continues in the Gaza Strip

Despite a deal reached between Hamas and the Egyptian authorities a week ago, the fuel needed to rescue Gaza from its energy crisis is yet to arrive.

Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Ali al-Hayik, head of the Gazan Federation of Industries, said on Sunday that dozens of factories across the Strip are now at risk of closure, and that the Hamas government must take responsibility for their mishandling of the crisis.

The statement comes a week after Gaza’s only power plant was forced to close for a second time on Tuesday due to lack of fuel.

Two days earlier, Khalil Abu Shamala, the head of Al-Dameer, a human rights organisation based in Gaza, reported that he had been issued with a letter threatening arrest for criticising the government's handling of the issue.

The delivery of the fuel is stalled due to a conflict over which of the tunnels into Gaza to use for the delivery, as Hamas are unwilling to use tunnels that cross Israeli territory.

Gazan Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday spoke out blaming Egypt for the delay, although much criticism has been directed at Hamas for trying to profit politically from the ongoing crisis.

The 1.7 million citizens of Gaza have now been living with blackouts of up to 18 hours per day for two weeks.

The charity Oxfam released a statement last Sunday stating that the crisis is having a disproportionate effect on women and children.