Israel will resume fuel deliveries to Gaza on Monday, according to an announcement by the IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the entity which provides liaison between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and Gaza.
The decision to allow the transfer of the fuel tanks came on the same day that a message was received by Israel from Gaza, requesting around 10 fuel tanks to be delivered for the power stations in the enclave.
“The decision was made following a security assessment in the matter and approved by the political echelon, and is conditional upon the preservation of security stability,” COGAT said in its statement.
This is the first order from Gaza that Israel has received since its Operation Guardian of the Walls conflict last month with Hamas, according to Walla! News.
The Gulf nation of Qatar has been footing the bill for fuel deliveries to Gaza, which are needed to fuel Gaza’s sole power plant and produce electricity for families in the enclave.
There has not been an agreement, however, on the transfer of Qatari cash to some 100,000 Gaza families and Hamas clerks, according to both Qatari officials and those from the United Nations.
Qatar was hand-delivering $100 payments to the families, in cash, every month prior to the conflict.
Israel is demanding the return of the two live captives and bodies of two fallen IDF soldiers that Hamas is holding hostage in Gaza, before the Qatari cash payments are allowed to resume.
Israel has already renewed postal service to Gaza and has also allowed the resumption of some exports of clothing and agricultural produce, as well as allowing certain imports to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom land crossing, as well as those raw materials needed for “essential civilian factories.”
In addition, the IDF re-expanded the Gaza fishing zone from six to nine nautical miles.
Update: On Monday morning fuel trucks went into Gaza.
