Qatar buying fuel for Gaza’s only power plant – official

Qatar is buying fuel to restart the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, a top United Nations official said on Tuesday. Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s resident humanitarian coordinator, said this will provide a few more hours of electricity for Gaza’s two million residents, who experience daily blackouts of up to 16 hours. He said discussions were underway to find the “most optimal way” to deliver the fuel through Israel, AP reported. The territory’s Hamas rulers have accused the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority of hindering the Qatari efforts. Hamas ousted the PA in 2007, prompting an Israeli-Egyptian blockade. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has stepped up pressure to squeeze Hamas by cutting salaries of former PA employees.