Gaza fuel depot remains closed for fourth day

JERUSALEM, April 13 (Reuters) - Israel kept a terminal that pumps fuel into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip closed for a fourth day on Sunday following an attack by militants, but officials said fuel tanks on the Palestinian side were already full.

Palestinian, Israeli and Western officials estimate that holding tanks on the Palestinian side of the Nahal Oz crossing currently contained 200,000 litres of gasoline and 800,000 litres of diesel. Western officials said that should be enough for roughly two days' supply.

Hamas said Israel was causing a fuel crisis in the territory, which it seized by force in June. Israel says the crisis is being created by Hamas because it is not allowing the fuel in the tanks to be distributed.

Palestinian fuel distributors have been on strike to protest limited Israeli supplies of gasoline and diesel.

Mahmoud al-Khuzundar, head of the Gaza Fuel Suppliers' Association, denied any Hamas role in the strike and said the association will not distribute fuel in the holding tanks until Israel increases the amount it supplies.

Israeli Defence Ministry spokesman Shlomo Dror said the army was still evaluating last Wednesday's attack on the fuel depot at Nahal Oz, and would decide afterwards how to proceed.

Israeli and Western officials said even if Israel agreed to restart the flow of gasoline and diesel to Gaza, it will not be able to do so until fuel tanks on the Palestinian side have been emptied out.

"If they don't pump the fuel from the tanks for their use, we cannot operate the terminal normally and pump fuel," said Colonel Nir Press, an Israeli military official involved in overseeing Gaza's crossing.

A senior Western official who tracks fuel supplies to Gaza said: "There is nowhere to put more fuel."