Jerusalem,Oct 13: The Defense Minister of Isreal, Avigdor Lieberman has ordered an immediate halt in fuel deliveries to Gaza following clashes along the Gaza-Israel border.
Earlier on Friday, a number of truckloads of diesel fuel funded by Qatar entered Gaza via Israel reports Al Jazeera.
Later in the day, protests erupted along the border, during which protesters threw explosive devices and launched airborne firebombs.
“Israel will not tolerate a situation in which fuel tankers are allowed to enter Gaza on the one hand, while terror and violence are used against IDF soldiers and Israeli citizens on the other,” the statement from Lieberman’s office said.
“Hamas continues to welcome terrorist attacks and encourages the Palestinians in the West Bank to carry out attacks against Israeli citizens,” he added.
It is not the first time Lieberman has punished Gazans by stopping fuel transfers.
In August, the defense minister shut down the Kerem Shalom border crossing for fuel and gas ln light of weekly border clashes.
Multiple reconciliation attempts aimed at restoring the Palestinian Authority (PA) to power in Gaza have failed earlier too.
Israel says its blockade of Gaza is necessary to isolate Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since 2008. (UNI)
Comments are closed.