The war against the Jews (18)

More on the way Hamas manipulates world opinion. While the gullible/Israel-hating west bays that Israel is starving the inhabitants of Gaza by shutting off the supply routes, Hamas are busy blowing up the crossing points in order to ensure that Israel does precisely that. They say it is to break the ‘siege’ but since a) they are not under siege by Israel which is letting through most of Gaza’s supplies most of the time and b) if there is one thing which does force Israel to shut the crossings it’s blowing them up, the opposite would appear to be the truth. (The picture shows a Hamas demonstration on April 25 against the Israeli 'siege' -- at the border wall with Egypt at Rafah. Go figure. And even the EU has now blamed Hamas in part for Gaza's fuel crisis.) They are also stealing for themselves supplies destined for the general population. As Khaled abu Toameh reports:

Eyewitnesses in Gaza City said that at least on four occasions over the past few weeks, Hamas militiamen confiscated trucks loaded with fuel shortly as they were on their way from Nahal Oz to the city. They added that the fuel supplies were taken to Hamas-controlled security installations throughout the city. ‘Hamas is taking the fuel for it the vehicles of is leaders and security forces,’ the eyewitnesses said. ‘Because of Hamas's actions, some hospitals have been forced to stop the work of ambulances and generators.’

PA officials in Ramallah said Hamas's measures were aimed at creating a crisis in the Gaza Strip with the hope that the international community would intervene and force Israel to reopen the border crossings. ‘As far as we know, there is enough fuel reaching the Gaza Strip,’ the officials said. ‘But Hamas's measures are aimed at creating a crisis. Hamas is either stealing or blocking most of the fuel supplies.’

They pointed out that last week Hamas dispatched hundreds of its supporters to Nahal Oz to block the fuel supplies from Israel. Hamas claimed that the protest was organized by farmers and fishermen demanding an end to the blockade on the Gaza Strip… Hamas has also been exerting pressure on the Gaza Petrol Station Owners Association to close down their businesses so as to aggravate the crisis. Some of the station owners and workers said they were afraid to return to work after receiving death threats from Hamas militiamen and ordinary residents desperate to purchase gas and diesel for their vehicles.