Photo Credit: Abed Rahim Khatib / Flash 90
Egyptian soldiers stand guard on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border with Gaza.

The Cairo government sent 22 trucks loaded with diesel fuel through the Rafah Crossing between Egypt and Gaza on Friday evening, carrying another delivery for the enclave.

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The delivery comes just a little over a week after Egypt sent one million liters of the desperately-needed fuel to Gaza’s sole power plant.

The fuel is being sent in the wake of a decision by Israel to reduce its supply of electricity to Gaza in compliance with a demand by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, who refused to pay for the supplies.

Abbas has tightened his fist over the enclave in an effort to force Gaza to knuckle under after ten years of autonomous existence, and to prove to Gaza residents their government is not “leading.”

In 2007, the enclave’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization ousted the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction – led by Abbas – in a bloody coup, seizing control of Gaza.

Since that time, Abbas has been entirely unable to enter the region, and Fatah residents have been essentially under siege, whereas Hamas operatives are moving in and out of Palestinian Authority-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria with increasing freedom, and establishing stronger networks by the day.

Were it not for Israeli Defense Forces operating in Judea and Samaria, Hamas and its terrorist allies, predominantly the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, would have long since seized control over the Ramallah-based Abbas-run government as well.

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Hana Levi Julian is a Middle East news analyst with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Southern Connecticut State University. A past columnist with The Jewish Press and senior editor at Arutz 7, Ms. Julian has written for Babble.com, Chabad.org and other media outlets, in addition to her years working in broadcast journalism.