Israel resumes fuel shipments to Gaza
Despite bloody clashes between IDF troops, Palestinian gunmen earlier on Wednesday, Israel renews supply of fuel, cooking oil to Strip
Israeli and Palestinian officials say Israel has resumed fuel shipments to Gaza after a weeklong cutoff.
Mahmoud Khuzandar, deputy director of the Gaza fuel station owners' association, says a total of eight truckloads of fuel have been pumped into Gaza. He says half was cooking oil and the other half was diesel fuel for Gaza's only power plant.
An Israeli defense official says Israel sent only fuel for the power plant.
Israel cut off the flow of fuel to the Palestinian territory last week after Gaza militants killed two Israelis in an attack on the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, but on Monday Defense Minister Ehud Barak, at Egypt's request, ordered the renewal of diesel shipments to Gaza's power station.
The Israeli military said earlier in the day the terminal would not be reopened because of a Palestinian ambush nearby that left three soldiers dead. It was unclear why the decision was reversed.
The soldiers were killed Wednesday morning in a battle with Palestinian gunmen who were approaching the security fence in an apparent attempt to infiltrate Israel.
An army spokesperson had said the attack prompted Israel to cancel plans to resume fuel shipments.
The drop in the supply of gasoline in Gaza has hampered travel for Gaza's 1.4 million people. Four Gaza universities shut down Monday after officials said students couldn't get to class.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
