The Israeli government decided to resume fuel shipments to the Gaza Strip on Sunday in response to a petition filed by a group of human-rights organizations to the Israeli High Court of Justice against the Gaza closure.
The government pledged to supply2.2 million liters of fuel per week, the amount of fuel demanded by the High Court.
However, the agreement between the government and the court to renew the fuel supplies has not satisfied the petitioners, who claim that it is insufficient for the Gaza power plant to function at full capacity.
Cutting the fuel supply is part of Israel’s strategy to pressure Hamas, which controls Gaza, to stop the rocket fire into southern Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel’s state prosecution warned that if the rocket fire continues, Israel will consider limiting the supplies again.
To break the Israeli closure, the Gaza-Egypt border fence was partially destroyed by Gaza militants and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians flocked into Egypt on Wednesday to stock up on food and fuel.
In another development, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also promised the Palestinian Authority Chairman, Mahmoud ‘Abbas on Sunday that Israel would no longer disrupt the supply of food, medicine, and necessary energy into Gaza to prevent a “humanitarian disaster” there.
Sources said the two-hour meeting between Olmert and ‘Abbas at the prime minister’s official residence in Jerusalem was dominated by the crisis along the Gaza-Egyptian border.
‘Abbas wants his presidential guard to take over the Palestinian side of the crossings between Israel and Gaza and between Gaza and Egypt, but Israeli officials are skeptical because Hamas controls Gaza.
To lobby for his plan, ‘Abbas will travel to Egypt on Wednesday to discuss the issue with President Hosni Mubarak, who is also trying to solve the crisis his country is facing on its borders with Gaza.