Much-needed Fuel, Cooking Gas Tankers Enter Gaza

A Palestinian woman carries a child while they walk next to houses destroyed in an Israeli strike during the conflict, as displaced Palestinians return to their homes, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
A Palestinian woman carries a child while they walk next to houses destroyed in an Israeli strike during the conflict, as displaced Palestinians return to their homes, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
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Much-needed Fuel, Cooking Gas Tankers Enter Gaza

A Palestinian woman carries a child while they walk next to houses destroyed in an Israeli strike during the conflict, as displaced Palestinians return to their homes, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
A Palestinian woman carries a child while they walk next to houses destroyed in an Israeli strike during the conflict, as displaced Palestinians return to their homes, amid the temporary truce between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Israel announced that four tankers with fuel and four tankers with cooking gas entered the Gaza Strip on Friday, the first day of what is meant to be a four-day ceasefire.
Israel has agreed to allow the delivery of 130,000 liters (34,300 gallons) of fuel a day into besieged Gaza for humanitarian needs for the duration of the truce. This would be roughly twice the amount permitted previously, but still only a small portion of Gaza’s daily needs, estimated at more than 1 million liters (264,000 gallons).
For most of the past seven weeks of war, Israel had barred the entry of any fuel to Gaza, claiming it could be used by Hamas for military purposes. United Nations aid agencies pushed back against such claims, saying fuel deliveries were closely supervised and urgently needed to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
It was not immediately clear if Friday’s deliveries meant the new daily target set by the truce deal had been reached, Reuters reported. The announcement was made by COGAT, a body in Israel’s defense ministry responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs.



Netanyahu Appoints Adviser with Trump Ties to Lead Ceasefire Talks 

Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza stuck a sticker with the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a road which they poured red liquid, symbolizing blood, in Jerusalem, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, during a rally to mark 500 days of captivity and demand their release. (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza stuck a sticker with the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a road which they poured red liquid, symbolizing blood, in Jerusalem, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, during a rally to mark 500 days of captivity and demand their release. (AP)
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Netanyahu Appoints Adviser with Trump Ties to Lead Ceasefire Talks 

Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza stuck a sticker with the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a road which they poured red liquid, symbolizing blood, in Jerusalem, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, during a rally to mark 500 days of captivity and demand their release. (AP)
Relatives and supporters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza stuck a sticker with the face of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a road which they poured red liquid, symbolizing blood, in Jerusalem, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, during a rally to mark 500 days of captivity and demand their release. (AP)

An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed a close confidant to lead negotiations for the second stage of the ceasefire with Hamas.

The official says that Cabinet Minister Ron Dermer will head the Israeli team. Previous talks have been led by the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet security agencies.

Talks have not yet started on the second stage, which is meant to include an end to the war, return of all hostages and Israeli pullout from Gaza.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the appointment has not been officially announced.

The US-born Dermer is widely seen as Netanyahu’s closest adviser. He previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the US and is a former Republican activist with strong ties to the Trump White House.

Dermer currently serves as Israel’s strategic affairs minister, where he has been a key player in relations with the US and other countries.