Israel will resume fuel shipments to Gaza after withholding supplies pending the cessation of rocket fire from the strip.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak made the decision Monday following a request from peace envoy Tony Blair, said defense officials who requested anonymity. Israel will allow minimal amounts of fuel for Gaza’s electricity plant starting Tuesday despite continued rocket fire, the officials said. Gaza officials had shut down the facility, cutting power to much of Gaza City.
Barak, however, kept Gaza-Israel border crossings closed.
More than 70 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel since Nov. 4, according to the Israeli daily Ha’aretz. The rocket attacks followed an Israeli army counterterrorist operation in Gaza on that day.
After nearly two days of quiet, the rocket attacks resumed Monday, with three Palestinian-fired Kassam rockets striking rural Israeli lands near Gaza.
Hamas and Israel had observed a truce since June, but the quiet has evaporated over the past few days. Hamas has announced the truce will expire on Dec. 19, six months after it began, but Israel says the truce has no expiration date.
Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces officials warned Monday that Israel may have to conduct more operations in the Gaza Strip — like the one last week — to scuttle terrorist attacks being planned against Israelis.
