Qatari-Bought Fuel Enters Gaza to Ease Humanitarian Crisis

Qatari-bought fuel arrived at the Gaza Strip's only power station after entering through Israel on Tuesday in a bid to alleviate conditions in the Palestinian enclave, a Hamas spokesman and sources said.

The delivery could help ease months of protests and clashes along the border between Israel and Hamas-run Gaza, which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for more than a decade.

But it was met with criticism by officials close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose rival administration was not involved.

U.N. officials and Egypt have in recent weeks pursued indirect talks between Islamist movement Hamas and Israel. Israeli officials however refused comment on the delivery.

A Palestinian source at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza -- the only goods crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel -- said six trucks carrying 450,000 liters of fuel crossed Tuesday.

AFP journalists saw at least one truck arriving at the power station in Gaza City.

"The Qatari fuel to the Gaza Strip's power plant today is aimed at partially improving electricity (supply) in Gaza," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP.

For months residents of the strip have been receiving only four hours of mains electricity a day on average.

The United Nations has warned that Israel's 11-year blockade of the strip has resulted in a "catastrophic" humanitarian situation.

Under the U.N.-brokered deal, Qatar pays for the fuel which is then delivered through Israel with United Nations monitoring, a diplomatic source said.

In a statement Tuesday Azzam al-Ahmad, a senior official close to Abbas, threatened retaliatory measures if the fuel deliveries continued.

Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' Palestinian Authority in a 2007 near civil war.

Multiple reconciliation attempts aimed at restoring the PA to power in Gaza have failed.

Qassem said that the deliveries were facilitated "through the United Nations because of the vacuum left by the PA."

Abbas says that making deals with Hamas amounts to recognizing their control over Gaza in place of the PA.

- 'They lash out' -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Abbas was exacerbating Gaza woes and thereby fueling its residents' aggression toward Israel.

"Abu Mazen is strangling them economically and they lash out at Israel," he told a press conference in his Jerusalem office, referring to Abbas by his Arabic nickname.

Netanyahu did not specifically refer to the oil shipment but spoke of "attempts to reach a practical solution so that he will stop this strangulation."

He said that if Gaza tension reached boiling point and brought an uptick in attacks on neighboring southern Israel "the price they will pay will be very great."

"I'm not looking to launch unneccessary wars," he said. "But if there's no alternative you wage war with all your strength."

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars with Israel since 2008.

The recent unrest has raised fears of yet another conflict.

But there have been attempts in recent weeks by U.N. officials and Egypt to reach a long-term truce between the sides through indirect talks.

Much of the international community considers Hamas a terrorist organization. It has rejected calls for it to disarm and recognize Israel.

Israel says its blockade of Gaza is necessary to isolate Hamas.