A leading defence expert has rejected the claim that there is not enough fuel for hospital generators in Gaza, saying that Hamas is holding onto the diesel to power the ventilation system for its vast tunnel network.
Bruno Tertrais, Deputy Director of FRS, a non-partisan French security think-tank, said: “There is fuel for diesel generators in Gaza. Plenty of fuel. But Hamas needs a lot of it to power its own generators for air circulation in the subterranean city.
“So Hamas keeps the fuel (and sometimes steals it from the UN), and Gazans don’t get it.”
The UN said yesterday that hospitals in the Gaza Strip were taking emergency cases only amid claims by Hamas that fuel supplies would run out across the territory over the course of the day.
When a UN official was confronted by a Sky News journalist with the claim that Hamas was hoarding fuel for military purposes, she failed to provide any comment or rebuttal.
WATCH
— Harry's Place (@hurryupharry) October 25, 2023
Journalist left speechless by UN representative's refusal to admit HAMAS has fuel which it withholds from Gazan hospitals.
Gaza has fuel, Hamas won't release it.
World blames Israel. pic.twitter.com/22PrKzNGrh
This week the IDF published aerial imagery of what it said was 500,000 litres of fuel in storage tanks in Gaza.
These fuel tanks are inside Gaza.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 24, 2023
They contain more than 500,000 liters of fuel.
Ask Hamas if you can have some. https://t.co/Dlag6VdbMq pic.twitter.com/WXzZMFr8yI
“These are fuel tanks inside Gaza,” the IDF said. “They contain more than 500,000 litres of fuel.”
“Hamas-Isis steals this fuel from civilians and transfers it to its tunnels, rocket launchers, and leaders. This is what Hamas’s list of priorities looks like,” Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic spokesman, added.
