First fuel since start of war delivered to UN in Gaza    

The first truck carrying fuel into Gaza since the start of Israel's war with Hamas crossed from Egypt on Wednesday to deliver diesel to the United Nations, though it will do little to alleviate shortages that have hampered relief efforts.The delivery was made possible by Israel giving its approval for 24,000 litres of diesel fuel to be allowed into Gaza for UN aid distribution trucks, though not for use at hospitals, according to a humanitarian source."This is only 9% of what we need daily to sustain lifesaving activities," Tom White, director of UN relief agency UNRWA in Gaza, posted on social media platform X. He confirmed that just over 23,000 litres, or half a tanker, had been received."Our entire operation is now on the verge of collapse," said UNRWA director Philippe Lazzarini. "It is appalling that fuel continues to be used as a weapon of war."Aid workers say a lack of fuel, which is needed for hospital generators, provision of water, sewage treatment and communications as well as for the distribution of relief, has contributed to a sharp deterioration of conditions for Gaza's 2.3 million residents.Deliveries of humanitarian aid have been crossing from Egypt into Gaza since Oct. 21, but Israel had refused to allow in fuel, saying it could be used by Hamas.The United Nations had warned in recent days that it would soon have to halt humanitarian operations as its fuel stocks became fully depleted.It said fuel shortages had already caused or contributed to the closure of hospitals, bakeries, sewage pumping stations, water desalination plants and wells, and were threatening to shut down telecoms data centres and connection points within 48 hours.Limited numbers of injured Palestinians have been brought to Egypt for medical treatment, with 135 evacuated between Nov. 2-13. Egypt has also readied 35 ambulances with mobile incubators after three premature babies at Gaza's besieged Al Shifa hospital died when their incubators lost power.The initial delivery of 24,000 litres of fuel was intended to be split over two days, with 12,000 litres allocated for each day, an international source with knowledge of the operation said."This is not enough for anything - not for hospitals, not even for aid deliveries," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's meant to be enough only to bring some of the aid that has been outside - and got rained on for example - indoors to the warehouses."On Tuesday, 91 trucks carrying food, medicine, bottled water, blankets and tents entered Gaza from Egypt's Rafah crossing, but the UN says deliveries since Oct. 21 - 1,187 trucks in total - can only meet a fraction of needs. Distribution of the aid had largely come to a halt because of lack of fuel, it said.It has called on Israel to open its Kerem Shalom crossing to allow in larger quantities of aid.After the first truck carrying fuel set off for Gaza on Wednesday, witnesses said two other trucks were lined up on the Egyptian side, but it was unclear when they might enter.