Fuel crisis warns of factory shutdown in Palestine

Dozens of factories in Gaza are at risk of closing due to the fuel crisis, warned the Head of Gaza's Federation of Industries and the Palestinian Businessmen Association Ali al-Hayik. Al-Hayik called on the Hamas-led government to provide fuel to factories to avert a looming catastrophe for the local industry, Palestinian news agency (Ma'an) reported. He stressed that local business keeps the national economy active and provides employment, but has been hit by repeated disasters, including Israel's blockade of Gaza and Israeli military operations inducing damage. Private sector organizations are also affected by repeated electricity blackouts, weak transport infrastructure, and sanitation problems, he said. After fuel deliveries via underground tunnels from Egypt were shut off in recent weeks, Gaza's power plant has shut down twice and the 1.7 million residents of the coastal strip go through up to 18-hour blackouts each day.