‘Israel Gaza live news - Is Hamas stockpiling fuel in Gaza?’

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Many aid agencies are saying the same thing - that Gaza desperately needs fuel, with hospitals already shutting down. Israel isn't allowing fuel in and has accused Hamas of stockpiling hundreds of thousands of litres of fuel in reserve.

Yesterday, the Israeli military published an aerial image of 12 tanks near the Gaza-Egypt border, which it said are being used as fuel storage.

Dr Frank Ledwidge, a military analyst and former British intelligence officer, tells me he can’t see a military reason to store the fuel there and would “like to see a bit more evidence” of the tanks being in use before coming to a conclusion.

It is far more likely fuel dumps are stored underground in Hamas’s network of tunnels, which experts believe to be up to 500km (310 miles) in length, the University of Portsmouth expert says.

Hamas wouldn't be using stockpiles of fuels like diesel or petrol to fuel the rockets they're firing at Israel, as those weapons require specialist fuel, Dr Ledwidge adds.

His colleague and expert in political violence in Israel, Dr Veronika Poniscjakova, tells me it “would not be the first time” Hamas have seized fuel, humanitarian aid or other supplies for its own use.

On what the alleged stockpiles could be used for, she explains no one knows with certainty – but says they probably include keeping the lights on in their underground network, ensuring their vehicles are running and pumping water from tunnels to prevent flooding.