Behind the Headlines: Hamas holding civilian population in Gaza hostage.
7 May 2008 Ministry of Foreign Affairs

By seizing the fuel, food, and medical supplies that Israel is transferring
to the Gaza Strip, and using the supplies itself, the Hamas terror
organization is basically holding the civilian population of Gaza hostage.

Israel has continued to supply fuel, food, medical supplies and other
humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, despite Hamas attacks precisely
on those crossings Israel must use to transfer the supplies.

It is apparent that Hamas is targeting the crossings in order to prevent the
transfer of humanitarian aid to the civilian population, thus both
needlessly depriving its own population as well as causing an artificial
humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Clearly, Hamas wants to create a
crisis in order that international pressure will be placed on Israel.

Recent reports indicate that not only is Hamas depriving the civilization
population, it is allocating the supplies for its own use.

Hamas steal fuel from the civilian population

A Jerusalem Post
report,www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1208870521477
on the 29th of April, ( ) states that Hamas stole 60,000 liters of fuel from
the civilian population of Gaza. This was confirmed by the head of the
Palestinian Authority's gas agency, who added that Hamas gunmen had raided
the Palestinian side of the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, stealing at least 60,000
liters of fuel meant for the Gaza power station, for use in their own
vehicles.

The London Independent
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-fuel-crisis-forces-un-to-stop-food-aid-deliveries-815427.html
reports on the artificial crisis caused by Hamas, which even caused the UN
to suspend food aid to 650,000 refugees in the Gaza Strip after running out
of fuel for its delivery vehicles. An emergency tanker sent to the Nahal Oz
terminal was turned back by demonstrators, and was forced to return empty.
EU condemns Hamas actions which lead to further suffering of the Palestinian
population

On 24 April, the Presidency of the EU
http://domino.un.org/UNISPAl.NSF/22f431edb91c6f548525678a0051be1d/6ba1ff19f48d584f85257436004a58d0!OpenDocument
stated that Hamas activities were obstructing and even preventing
humanitarian work by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Hamas nationalizing fuel supplies meant for the civilian population

In another report, Nissim Keinan of Israel's Second Radio channel reported
on 4 May that Hamas was in fact holding the civilian population hostage. He
stated that Hamas has nationalized all the fuel supplies transferred by
Israel for the civilian population, and for operation of the electricity
plant, and is using it solely for its own purposes. In addition, food sent
by the donor countries is allocated in accordance with Hamas instructions.
Of the thousands of tons of grains, food and fuel that were transferred,
none was able to reach the civilian population.