Israel on Sunday morning fully resumed the transfer of fuel to the Gaza Strip, after last week the same supply had been cut in half because of the rocket fire launched at Israel. On Saturday, the Arab news website Sawa reported on the new move, citing a UN official, following a Friday announcement by Qatar that it was cutting in half the amount of diesel fuel it was going to pay for on behalf of the Strip.
Feeling whiplashed? Wait, there’s more.
According to Israeli news outlets, Israel is determined to continue transferring the full supply of diesel required to provide electric power to Gaza, regardless of how much of it is paid for by Qatar. Meanwhile, the Jewish State is negotiating hectically with the Qataris to get them to renew their full commitment. Ynet reported Sunday morning that a business plane took off from Israel to Qatar during the night and returned a short while later, at 6 AM.
Last Thursday, the Lebanese newspaper Al Ahbar reported that in talks between Hamas and Egyptian intelligence officials in Cairo, the Egyptians proposed a long-term ceasefire agreement with Israel in return for humanitarian and economic relief in the Gaza Strip. According to the same report, the Egyptians warned Hamas officials that in the event of Gaza opening a front against Israel while hostilities with Hezbollah are escalating in the north, Israel would deal harshly with the Strip.
On Friday, 6,000 Arabs rioted at the Gaza Strip border and threw explosives and grenades at the IDF forces behind the fence. An IDF soldier was lightly wounded by grenade shrapnel. Also, four Arabs armed with a knife and a grenade were caught trying to enter Israel from the southern Gaza Strip.