Fuel if allowed by Israel will only enter south Gaza, says US envoy

While no fuel has been supplied into Gaza since start of ground offensive by Israeli military, if allowed, it is expected to enter only south Gaza, Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield has said. latter reportedly informed that re’s currently an agreed mechanism in place to get fuel to hospitals and civilian facilities in a way that it cannot be confiscated by terrorists of Hamas.

“Fuel, which existed in depots accessible to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in Near East), that existed in Gaza prior to October 7, has been accessed by UNRWA for purposes of trucks, delivery of assistance that is from Rafah terminal to distribution points, for desalinization plant operation, and for delivery to hospitals in South. That has been going on for pretty much last week,” Satterfield was reported as saying.

Israeli government accused Hamas of hoarding and diverting fuel, and using it for purpose of ramping up assaults into Israel’s border towns. During his visit to Tel Aviv earlier yesterday,  US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel ‘raised appropriate concerns, concerns that we share, about Hamas’s hoarding and syphoning of fuel in norrn Gaza.’

“Again, its cynicism knows no bounds, denying fuel itself that it has to hospitals and or places that desperately need it. In meetings with regional partners, I’ll continue conversations about getting assistance to flow, including with help from United Nations,” Blinken said at a press conference in Tel Aviv ahe of travelling to Amman where he met with Arab partners.

Hamas creating hurdles in foreign nationals' evacuation?

US officials have reportedly said that y were currently not aware of any instances of Hamas diverting any humanitarian assistance that entered Gaza via Rafah Crossing. “Aid workers in field have not reported interdiction of or seizure of goods by Hamas,” an official familiar with development reportedly noted. 

IDF, however, said in a statement that Hamas terrorists have been blocking foreign nationals from leaving Gaza strip, and reing hurdles in evacuation process of foreign passport holders. latter insisted that Hamas also attempted to slip some of its wounded fighters onto a list of people approved to cross into Egypt at Rafah crossing. Such measures have been contributing to a slowed effort this week to evacuate hundreds of foreign nationals and dozens of seriously injured Palestinians, as per US officials.

In a televised dress, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said that he outrightly rejected any temporary ceasefire in fight against Hamas unless hostages were released.