Why did Egypt withhold gas from Gaza?
Some argue that Egypt halted its gas imports to the Gaza Strip because of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s visit to Iran.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An unprecedented crisis hit the Gaza Strip this month when cooking gas became unavailable at filling stations after it stopped entering the Strip from Egypt on Jan. 1 for over 10 days. This was due to technical difficulties and bad weather conditions, the Ministry of Finance in Gaza said.
On Jan. 20, Egypt resumed its imports and allowed 10 trucks to enter, followed by 23 others on Jan. 23, promising to double the quantity over the coming days.
But some believe this was an Egyptian attempt to put more pressure on Gaza. The besieged enclave has been relying for many years on gas coming from Egypt in addition to limited quantities entering from the Israeli side.
On Jan. 17, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Egypt unilaterally began raising the prices of goods transported to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, including cooking gas and car tires.
