Israel says it will allow two trucks carrying diesel fuel to enter the Gaza Strip daily, BBC News reported on November 17, UNN reports.
Read more
However, none of the fuel had entered the enclave as of Friday, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) told the news outlet.
The head of the agency warned on Thursday that the organization may have to suspend all its activities due to the lack of fuel.
Israel's statement came in response to a U.S. request to allow fuel to be delivered to the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The fuel convoy will pass through the Rafah crossing to civilians in the southern Gaza Strip via the UN, provided it does not reach Hamas, an Israeli official said.
Israel's Kan news agency reported that each shipment would amount to about 60,000 liters of fuel per day. This is slightly more than one-third of what Unrwa says it needs. In its most recent situation report, the agency said it needed "160,000 liters of fuel daily for basic humanitarian operations."
An Israeli official said the fuel is intended to support water, sewage and sanitation systems to prevent the outbreak of epidemics that could spread in the area.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously warned of "alarming trends" in the spread of disease in the Gaza Strip, where health care and sanitation facilities are severely disrupted.
Earlier today, WHO Representative for the Palestinian Territories Richard Pieperkorn said that more than 70,000 cases of acute respiratory infections and more than 44,000 cases of diarrhea have been reported, according to Reuters, figures that are much higher than expected.
Addendum
The latest siege and Israeli military operation began after a brutal Hamas attack on October 7, when the group killed about 1,200 people and took more than 230 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. According to the health ministry of the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave, at least 12,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel launched retaliatory strikes.