Israel building oil pipeline to Gaza

Pipe will transfer diesel and cooking oil to Strip; Palestinian village connected to Israeli power grid.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
oil pipes 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
oil pipes 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Israel began construction of an underground pipeline on Tuesday that will deliver diesel fuel and cooking oil to the southern Gaza Strip. The decision to build the pipeline followed the suggestion of the political echelon, the IDF said. Israeli and Palestinian construction crews will both work on the project, the army added. "The IDF will continue to work to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," a statement released on Tuesday said. Meanwhile on Monday, Kaddum, a Palestinian village adjacent to Kalkilya, was connected to the Israeli national power grid. The Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria, which oversaw the work, said the new arrangement would lead to "significant change in the lives of 4,000 villagers, who can now frequently use electricity, and who had suffered from cuts due to a past reliance on generators." The civil administration worked with local Palestinian authorities to construct the link to the power grid, the statement said. "This step joins a series of steps taken recently... that can significantly increase the quality of life for Palestinians in Judea and Samaria," the civil administration said.