No fun being a cabbie in Gaza
Photo: AP
Hamas fights gas shortage by robbing cab drivers
Hamas finds creative solution for gas shortage in Gaza: confiscating taxis' gas tanks
With Ramadan just around the corner, the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip came up with a creative solution to counter the gas shortage in the Strip, expected to grow worse during the holy Muslim month.
In recent days, Hamas police have been targeting gas-powered vehicles, and particularly taxis, in order to address the shortage.
"Hamas police stopped me and confiscated my gas tank," one Gaza cab driver told Ynet. "They told me the gas is required for Ramadan now."
The driver said his colleagues also complained that their gas tanks have been confiscated on the same grounds.
"If I'm a cab driver, and they take away my gas tank so that there's enough gas for cooking during Ramadan, how will I be able to make a living and buy food this month?" the driver said.
It seems that Hamas realized the new move may not be received well by the masses, and has decided to reconsider the decision. In the last two days, no drivers reported being stopped on the road for the purpose of gas confiscation.
Meanwhile, Ynet learned that in recent months Hamas' government in Gaza has started to deduct $100 dollars from the paychecks of all government employees and hand over the funds to unemployed Gazans every two months, in order to counter the harsh economic conditions in the Strip.
