Israel Restores Fuel Supplies to Gaza

Israel today resumed normal fuel supplies to Gaza following concerns that a decision to cut them off after Hamas's seizure of power would cause excessive hardship for the 1.5m people living in the coastal strip.

Gazans rushed to stock up on petrol and food yesterday as Dor Alon, the private Israeli fuel company that supplies the territory, said it would only send shipments to power stations.

But today the fuel company said it had resumed normal supplies after consulting with the "relevant authorities", including the Israeli army.

Aides to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah organisation was routed by Hamas fighters in fierce battles inside Gaza last week, had asked Dor Alon to restore supplies to prevent people in the territory from running out of fuel for cars and cooking within days.

Yesterday, Mr Abbas swore in a new government in Ramallah and outlawed the Hamas militias that deposed the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. He promised their members would be punished for their actions.

But Ismail Haniyeh, who was fired by Mr Abbas as prime minister on Thursday, insisted that he remained in power and that the new government was illegal.

Israeli nervousness at the emergence of an Islamic mini-state on its southern doorstep was compounded by a reminder of the instability on its northern flank when two rockets were fired across the border from Lebanon, the first such episode since last summer's war with Hizbullah. Hizbullah denied involvement.

The brief Israeli fuel embargo had an immediate impact in Gaza. Vehicles queued to stock up on fuel and some stations ran out within hours. Gazans also stockpiled food, emptying supermarket shelves and contributing to price rises.

Workers at Gaza's only fuel warehouse told the Associated Press that supplies had run out. Early yesterday, the owners of 15 petrol companies came to the warehouse and purchased the last 30 tonnes of fuel.

The Karni crossing, through which Gaza's imports and exports flow, is closed; it is not clear when it will reopen.

According to a letter from an Israeli government official to the country's customs agents, reported today by the Reuters news agency, "no cargo destined for the strip is to be released until further notice".

Mr Abbas' new prime minister, Salam Fayyad, issued a direct appeal to Gazans as he took office along with a cabinet of technocrats who are not members of either Hamas or Fatah. "The first priority is security and the security situation. The mission will be difficult and hard, but not impossible," he said.

Addressing the residents in Gaza, he said: "You are in our hearts, the top of our agenda. The dark images, the shameful things that are alien to our traditions ... are not going to stop us."

The Palestinian Authority retains control of the areas of the West Bank that it is allowed to control by Israel but its hold on Gaza was demolished by Hamas last week. While Hamas has a lot of support in the West Bank, it does not have the same level of organisation it has in Gaza.

Mr Abbas's decision to swear in a government without any Hamas involvement could pave the way for a return of foreign aid to the West Bank.

Western powers imposed an aid embargo after Hamas won a general election in January 2006, because the group, viewed by the US and EU as a terrorist organisation, refuses to recognise Israel or renounce violence.

This morning, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said the bloc was keen to get funds to Mr Abbas quickly.

"It is very important that he is able to construct a budget and through that budget he will be able to help both people in Gaza and the West Bank," Mr Solana was quoted as saying by the Reuters new agency, as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.

Meanwhile, Hamas officials began to try to create some normality in Gaza after months of instability and violence. Volunteers from Hamas directed traffic while its militias began trying to collect weapons held by families. However, Hamas does not have the power to open borders or import and export goods without cooperating with Egypt and Israel, which do not recognise its seizure of power.

Mr Haniyeh said Hamas was forced to take action against the Fatah security forces last week after a series of attacks against Hamas, including an attack on his home. In an interview with France's Le Figaro, he said: "It was necessary to bring an end to this disorder. Calm has returned and I think that the security situation will be much better than before. There will be one legitimate armed force and we will bring law and discipline to Gaza."