Tel Aviv, November 15: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has allowed the first fuel truck carrying over 20,000 litres of diesel to enter Gaza Strip from Egypt since the breakout of the war amid outcry from international aid organisations that underlined the people's sufferings due to acute fuel shortage.

Sources with United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) told IANS that the fuel is only for the use of the UN and not for hospital purposes. The UNRWA director in Gaza, Thomas White posted on 'X' that it received fuel. Israel Is a ‘Terrorist State,’ Hamas Are ‘Resistance Fighters’, Says Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The shortage of fuel has led to the malfunctioning of hospitals, water treatment plants, sewage removal and even communications, according to the UNRWA. The UNRWA has been actively involved in the humanitarian aid work in Gaza. The UN had warned that it would have to halt humanitarian operations in Gaza since it was running out of fuel.

Tamara Al Rifai, Executive Director, Communications of UNRWA told IANS that Gaza Strip requires a minimum of 500 trucks per day of provisions, aid materials, fuel and other essential commodities for the minimum functioning of life, saying Gaza was receiving only around 30 trucks per day, which was highly inadequate.

Sources in the UN aid agency told IANS that two more trucks carrying fuel were lined up outside the Rafah crossing but it was not clear as to when these trucks would be allowed into Gaza Strip. Israel-Palestine War: IDF Special Forces Raid Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, Find Weapons and Hamas Assets Inside.

It may be noted that the trucks that cross the Rafah border will have to pass through strict scrutiny of IDF soldiers, which will lead to a lot of time consumption in delivery of aid materials to UN relief centres and warehouses.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 15, 2023 10:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).