The decision of the Israeli Military Ministerial Council, on Friday evening, November 17, 2023, to enter quantities of fuel into the Gaza Strip, sparked a controversy within the occupation government between supporters and opponents.

Ministers from the extreme Israeli right opposed the decision taken at the request of an American, while other ministers supported it.

For the first time since the start of the war on October 7, Israel agreed to bring fuel into the Gaza Strip, which it said was aimed at “preventing the spread of epidemics” into its territory, and after pressure from the United States, according to a statement from an Israeli political source.

For his part, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power Party, opposed the decision to introduce fuel.

Smotrich said in a statement: “Bringing fuel into Gaza is a grave mistake, and contradicts the decision of the Council of Ministers,” considering that the decision “injects the enemy (Hamas) with oxygen, and allows (Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya) Sinwar to sit comfortably in an air-conditioned bunker, watching the news.” And continue to manipulate Israeli society and the families of the kidnapped, instead of beating him, his men, and his partners.”

In a tweet on the “X” platform, Smotrich said: “In light of the decision to pump fuel into the Gaza Strip, which contravenes the government’s political and security decisions, I have now sent a letter to the Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu), demanding that the composition of the war government be changed.”

He added: "The fuel import scandal must stop. This is not how you win a war."

The Military Ministerial Council includes Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Minister without Portfolio Benny Gantz, Minister without Portfolio Gadi Eisenkot, and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.

In turn, Ben Gvir said in a tweet on the “X” platform: “Once again, political decisions are being made in the war cabinet, which leads Israel to a wrong perception.”

He added: "As long as the kidnapped people are not visited by the Red Cross, there is no point in giving the enemy humanitarian gifts, and this is like a finger in the eye of the Israeli army soldiers, the bereaved families, and the families of the missing and kidnapped."

He added: “The policy change must take place in the expanded Council of Ministers, not in the ministerial councils,” and continued: “I will ask the Prime Minister to submit policy-related decisions to the Council of Ministers.”

As for the leader of the opposition “Israel Beytenu” party, Avigdor Lieberman, he wrote on the “X” platform: “The statements that a drop of fuel will not enter the Gaza Strip have turned into the actual entry of tens of thousands of liters of fuel unilaterally, without any humanitarian gesture towards our kidnapped. I call for "An immediate halt to the security chaos."

On the other hand, Minister in the Ministerial Council, Benny Gantz, defended the decision, and said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Anadolu: “The Military Ministerial Council decided, based on the opinion of all its members, to supply international organizations with fuel (60 thousand liters), within the next 48 hours.”

He added: "The approval for the transfer came once, at the request of international parties, for the purpose of operating desalination and sewage facilities, and for the additional needs of institutions operating in the southern Gaza Strip."

For his part, the head of the Israeli National Security Council, Tzachi Hanegbi, said in a press conference on Friday: “We have responded to a special request from the United States to deliver two fuel tankers to Gaza daily, to prevent the spread of epidemics.”

On Wednesday, Egypt brought in a truck loaded with 25,000 liters of fuel, provided to operate UNRWA vehicles.

Data from the General Petroleum Administration in the Palestinian Ministry of Finance indicate that the Gaza Strip’s monthly need for fuel (gasoline and diesel) amounts to approximately 12 million liters.

The loss of fuel constitutes a catastrophic crisis for the Gaza Strip, which is inhabited by about 2.3 million people, as it depends on it as a source of energy to operate ambulances and civil defense vehicles necessary to transport victims of the Israeli bombing, to generate electricity for hospitals, and for telecommunications company exchanges, and to pump water from underground wells, water treatment plants, and others. In order to meet minimum human needs.

For 42 days, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, leaving more than 11,500 martyrs, including 4,710 children and 3,160 women, in addition to 29,800 injured, 70% of whom are children and women, according to the latest official Palestinian census issued on Wednesday evening.

Source: Anadolu+Arabic Post