Egypt sends fuel to power-starved Gaza

Egypt yesterday trucked 1 million liters of cheap diesel fuel to the Gaza Strip’s sole power plant — a rare shipment that temporarily eased a crippling electricity crisis in the Hamas-ruled enclave but also appeared to undercut Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas has been stepping up financial pressure on Gaza in hopes of forcing the militant group Hamas to cede ground in the territory. Hamas seized Gaza from Abbas’ forces in 2007, and yesterday’s delivery was the result of a strange new alliance of old foes united against the Palestinian president.

The power plant stopped operating in April after Hamas could no longer afford to buy heavily taxed fuel from Abbas’ West Bank-based government, leaving Gazans with just four hours of electricity a day.

Abbas also asked Israel to reduce the electricity it sends to Gaza, which amounts to about a third of the territory’s needs. This electricity, paid for by the Abbas government, has been reduced by one-fourth since Monday, worsening the crunch.

The power shortage has cast a pall over the current holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims often end their dawn-to-dusk fasting with lavish family meals. With their homes in the dark and refrigerators not functioning, families have had to scale back the celebrations.

Yousef al-Kayali, a Hamas finance official, said 11 trucks delivered the fuel yesterday. He said a second shipment of an additional 1 million liters was expected by today.

The fuel will not solve Gaza’s electricity woes, however. Israel is now providing just 88 megawatts of power each day, down from 120 earlier this week. The Egyptian fuel is expected to provide about 50 megawatts of power each day for several days, making up the cut in Israeli supplies.

In all, Gaza requires about 400 megawatts to meet its daily needs. The hot weather and Ramadan have increased demand, adding to the shortages.

“There will still be troubles, but not the maximum troubles. Re-running the power plant is better than keeping it shut down,” said Fathi Sheikh Khalil, director of the Hamas- run energy authority.

It was not clear whether the Egyptian deliveries were a one-time gesture or would continue.

Egypt and Hamas have had cool relations since the Egyptian military overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. The new Egyptian government accuses Hamas of cooperating with Islamic militants in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

But earlier this month, Egypt hosted a delegation of top Hamas officials. The delegation also met Mohammed Dahlan, an exiled Palestinian leader and Abbas rival. Those talks led to the fuel shipments. AP