Israel Begins Transferring Qatari-funded Fuel To Gaza Strip

Israeli authorities have started transferring fuel funded by Qatar to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, despite vehement objections from Mahmoud Abbas’ Ramallah-based government. The Palestinian Authority leader is furious about the move to ease the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave, as he continues to pressure rival Hamas to cede control over the territory. In response, Abbas reportedly has threatened to completely halt monthly payments of about $100 million to Gaza, a move that analysts believe could cause the fragile economy to collapse and, in turn, induce Hamas to launch a full-scale war against the Israel. The Palestinian chief fears that he is being sidelined not only by the Trump administration but also by regional and international players trying to forge a long-term cease-fire between the Jewish state and Gaza’s Islamic rulers that would include major investment and infrastructure projects in the blockaded enclave. According to Arab media, Doha has agreed to finance six months’ worth of fuel for Gaza that will translate into an increase in the amount of electricity per household from an average of four to eight hours each day. Meanwhile, violence continues unabated along the Israel-Gaza border, with tens of thousands of Palestinians having rioted at the security fence on Friday in the latest weekly instalment of the so-called “March of Return” protests. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly told his cabinet that the military is preparing for the possibility of a major campaign in the event the situation spirals out of control. In the interim, Egypt is still mediating between Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction and Hamas in a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement to end the decade-long intra-Palestinian divide.