Israel’s defense minister has allowed Qatari-bought fuel shipments to Gaza to resume, after canceling them a week ago when a rocket launched from Gaza struck and severely damaged a house in Beersheba, The Times of Israel reported Wednesday.
“In accordance with Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s decision from Sunday and in accordance with recommendations from security bodies, it has been decided that the supply of ‘Qatari fuel’ to Gaza will be renewed starting tomorrow,” Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which is the liaison between Israel and the Palestinians, said in a statement.
On Sunday, Israel reopened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza for goods and the Erez crossing for pedestrian traffic, after having closed them in response to the rocket attack.
The Times reported that there has been a “significant decrease” in the violence along the border fence with Gaza, where violent Hamas-led riots have been taking place since March 30. Defense officials were said to have described the past week as some of the quietest days in the area since the so-called “March of Return” began.
Despite the overall lower level of violence, the IDF reported that a group of soldiers near the border were attacked. They successfully dispersed the rioters. One rioter reportedly breached the fence, and was shot after throwing an explosive device at the soldiers.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, a 17-year-old was shot and killed by Israeli fire.
Earlier this week, Hamas official Ahmed Yousef charged that the failure of Hamas, the terrorist group that dominates Gaza politically and militarily, and Fatah, the main Palestinian faction, to reconcile has made Palestinians into “beggars.”
Also this week, Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing Fatah and Hamas of creating “parallel police states” in the West Bank and Gaza. In a 149-page report, HRW accused both major Palestinian political parties of “systematic” arbitrary arrests, and torturing dissidents.
[Photo: PalInfoAr / Twitter ]