GAZA, Aug 18, 2008 (Xinhua via COMTEX News Network) -- Gaza Strip is still suffering from fuel shortage, especially cooking gas, an official said on Monday.
Mahmoud al-Shawa, director of Gaza Gas Stations Owners Union, said the Israeli claim that cooking gas is not subject to reduction was untrue.
"Gaza Strip needs not less than 500 tons of cooking gas every day and Israel only allows 170 tons," al-Shawa said.
Israel began to reduce fuel shipments to Gaza in September last year, three months after Hamas took over the territory, to force the Islamic movement stop cross-border attacks against Jewish territories.
In June this year, Egypt brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, aimed at ending violence and slowly easing the blockade.
Hamas says Israel did not commit itself to opening the crossings into Gaza according to what the ceasefire deal stipulated.
Al-Shawa says there was no big increase on the fuel deliveries after the ceasefire took effect.
Israel says it did not reduce the amount of cooking gas.
Al-Shawa says half of the cooking gas quantity is used by cars that turned gasoline engines to run on cooking gas. His remarks may explain the cooking gas crisis.
A delegation from the petrol stations met Hamas' economy minister Sunday to discuss the crisis.
The Hamas authorities was about to prevent cars from running on cooking gas but stopped short due to the lack of gasoline, al- Shawa said.