Egypt decides to finally release Qatari fuel for Gaza

In 2012, Qatar shipped 30 million liters of diesel to Egypt that was meant to run the Gaza power plant during a previous Hamas-engineered power crisis.

The fuel was held in Egyptian tanks, but Egypt kept delaying sending the fuel to Gaza (via Kerem Shalom.) Israel had no problem with transferring the fuel from Egypt, but Hamas refused to import fuel from Israel, causing the crisis.

Sound familiar?

Anyway, only about half that fuel ever reached Gaza.

Finally, Egypt says it will send the remaining fuel to Gaza - some 18 months later.

The funniest part is that the spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Badr Abdel-Ati, said "Egypt will always remain ready to provide all ways to support the Palestinian people." Fuel might be subsidized in Egypt but talk is even cheaper.

(One more tidbit from my visit to Kerem Shalom this week: It has been many months since Egypt shipped anything to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing, which sits at the intersection of Gaza, Israel and Egypt. Since Israel is concerned for the safety of her people, the entrance from Egypt is blocked with large concrete barriers to stop any crazy suicide attack. However, I was told, it would only take a half hour to dismantle it if there was a need to bring in goods from Egypt again. Looks like this will actually happen, at least for this earmarked fuel.)