Israel halts fuel shipments for Gaza Power Station
May 18, 2021
Gaza [Palestine], May 18 : Israel on Monday blocked fuel shipments for the Gaza power station, said Raed Fattouh, Head of the Coordination Committee for entry of goods in the Gaza Strip.
This move by Israel comes when the airstrikes have extensively damaged the region's infrastructure.
On Monday, local media reported that the Israeli authorities had given the green light for a shipment of Qatari-bought fuel to Gaza, which is experiencing major electricity shortages amid the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"Israeli authorities today refused permission to transport fuel for the power plant in the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom checkpoint," Fattouh told Sputnik.
According to Monday media reports, Gaza's electricity distribution company is expected to run out of fuel in two to three days, as fighting and airstrikes have damaged power lines.
Many households in the Gaza Strip are already getting only a few hours of power a day due to the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel through which Gaza receives its fuel.
The United Nations also warned that Gaza's only power station is at risk of running out of fuel.
US President Joe Biden, in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, expressed his support for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, the Palestinian military group in Gaza.
"The President expressed his support for a ceasefire and discussed US engagement with Egypt and other partners towards that end. The two leaders agreed that they and their teams would remain in close touch," according to a readout of the call released by the White House.
In the call, Biden "reiterated his firm support for Israel's right to defend itself against indiscriminate rocket attacks" and "encouraged Israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of innocent civilians."
The call between Biden and Netanyahu on Monday was the third in less than a week as the violence has intensified.
The President welcomed efforts to address intercommunal violence and to bring calm to Jerusalem.The two leaders discussed "progress in Israel's military operations against Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza."
The death toll in Palestine due to Israeli airstrikes has reached 198 on Monday, said Health Ministry in Gaza.
