U.S. Welcomes Israel's Agreement to Daily Fuel Deliveries to Gaza

The White House welcomed Israel's agreement to continuously send fuel to Gaza. In a statement released on Friday, the White House announced that the U.S. is cooperating with Israel and other regional partners to ensure the continued entry of fuel into Gaza. The aim of this action is to transfer humanitarian aid and restore essential services in Gaza. The statement emphasized that the U.S. is pleased with Israel's decision to accept the firm request from the U.S. for regular fuel deliveries to Gaza, which must continue consistently and in large volumes. Following a request from the United States, the Israeli government cabinet agreed to send a total of 140,000 liters of fuel to Gaza every two days. This action came after the United Nations announced that it had halted food and other essential deliveries to Gaza due to fuel shortages. The UN also warned of the risk of widespread hunger in Gaza following the collapse of internet and telephone services due to fuel shortages. An Israeli official said on Friday, November 17, that the country's war cabinet has authorized the daily entry of two fuel trucks into Gaza to help meet the needs of the United Nations. According to Reuters, this official, whose identity was not disclosed, added that this decision was made following a request from Washington. He stated that allowing fuel into Gaza gives Israel more maneuvering space on the international stage to continue its campaign to destroy Hamas in the region. The U.S., the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization. According to this Israeli official, this amount of fuel is the 'minimum' necessary to support Gaza's water, sewage, and other health systems to prevent disease outbreaks. The first fuel truck arrived in Gaza after forty days; a Biden administration representative in Israel stated that 26 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are out of service. The Crown Prince of Bahrain called for a 'hostage exchange' between Hamas and Israel. Israel authorized the entry of 'two trucks' of fuel daily into Gaza. Inspections at the 'Al-Shifa' hospital continue; Israeli commandos succeeded in discovering weapons and equipment belonging to Hamas. Israel ordered the evacuation of four cities in southern Gaza. The first UN fuel truck entered Gaza from Egypt.