by Saud Abu Ramadan
GAZA, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mahmoud Akeila, 43, who distributes cooking gas balloons to houses of Gaza city's Remal neighborhood's residents, turned off his mini-truck engine and waited for the residents to bring their empty cooking gas jars in order to refill them with gas from a nearby cooking gas station.
As he loaded dozens of empty blue metal balloons into his truck, he asked every owner of a gas jars (balloon) to write his name clearly on it, while saying "I can't promise you that your gas balloons will be filled today. It may take at least one week in order to get them back filled with gas."
The fuel crisis in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip began after the Islamic movement took control of the enclave by force in mid-June last year and routed Mahmoud Abbas security forces as well as his Fatah movement's militants.
Israel severely reduced the amounts of industrial fuels for operating Gaza power plant and the regular fuels and kerosene for vehicles as well as the cooking gas after the Jewish state considered the enclave a hostile entity.
No fuels or cooking gas were allowed for several weeks at all into Gaza following a series of armed attacks and rockets firing carried out by Gaza militant groups at Israel.
Though Israel allowed more amounts of fuels and cooking gas into Gaza when an Egyptian-brokered truce between Hamas movement and Israel took into effect on June 19, Gaza residents and Hamas still complain the amounts are inadequate.
Mahmoud al-Khozondar, chief of the gas station owners' union who also run a fuel station and a cooking gas station himself, said "the crisis of diesel, benzene and cooking gas is still difficult to overcome."
"After the truce was reached, Israel is allowing amounts of fuel and cooking gas on daily basis, but these amounts are not sufficient for 1.5 million residents in Gaza," said al-Khozondar.
He added that "the crisis mounts during the Jewish holidays, because Israel closes Gaza crossing points for several days. Crossings were also closed for another several days when unknown militants violate the truce and fire rockets at Israel."
Director of the Petrol Corporation in Gaza Ahmed Ali warned of a serious humanitarian crisis if the lack of fuels and cooking gas continue until the upcoming winter.
"Gaza Strip needs 500 tons of cooking gas per week, but Israel only allows 300 tons per week," said Ali, adding that "Contacts are held with the Israelis on daily bases to increase the amount."
Gaza residents echoed Ali's view, saying they would face a real humanitarian crisis mainly due to a cold winter which will start on December.
Every gas balloon contains 12 kg cooking gas, but during the crisis, the Hamas government in Gaza instructed that each family can fill their cooking gas balloons only by half, which is 6 kg. Many car drivers in Gaza, mainly taxis, are also using cooking gasto run their cars rather than benzene.
Mohamed Abu Sharekh, 33-year-old Gazan taxi driver, said he has three cooking gas balloons.
"I use one gas balloon for cooking in my house, which can be enough for three weeks, and the other two I use for my taxi that consumes one gas balloon every three days, especially when there is no benzene," said Abu Sharekh.
Kamel Shabet, a 42-year-old Gaza resident who brought his empty cooking gas balloon to Akeila, said "We have been suffering a lot since the crisis emerged, and the lack of cooking gas obliged me to use electric heaters for cooking."
Shabet, father of 10 children living in an apartment in a 13-floor building, said he can not use woods "which are cheaper than electricity and gas" for cooking because he lives in a closed flat.
However, Shabet said "I strongly believe that this crisis won't last for too long. "
"I hope that the Palestinian reconciliation talks held in Cairo would lead to an agreement to end the crisis and lift the siege," said Shabet, looking forward to bringing full cooking gas jar soon.
