Gaza: After the assassination of Ahmad Al Jabari, the commander of Hamas military wing [Al Qassam brigades] in the Palestinian territories, the people in Gaza strip have come to feel that the drums of war are sounding louder with many of them rushing to buy and store essential goods.
Long queues were seen in front of gas stations in order to fill up on fuel which is considered rare in the first place.
People need fuel not only for cars, but to operate their generators as there is a power cut for more than 10 hours a day.
The lack of fuel and high demand especially after the rumours that have spread quickly among the Palestinians in the besieged strip of the start of a new war has raised the prices of fuel from almost 1 to $1.75 a litre in the black market.
In a press release, the hamas government has confirmed that it will not raise prices because of the situation which Gaza is going through.
Most people are using the fuel that comes through the underground tunnels with the Egyptian side since the Egyptian fuel is half the price of the Israeli fuel.
Rumours are rife that the Israeli air jets will target these tunnels like it did in the Operation Cast Lead operation in December 2008.
Despite the ministry of economy announcing that fuel and other supplies are available for every body the people would rather not take any chances and try to store fuel and bread.
Mohammad Al Sek, a 33-year-old governmental teacher, said: “I’ve been standing in a line for three hours to fill up a gallon of fuel to use for my generator”. “I am tired and worried about my family, but I have to stand in another line for bread,” he added.
Gas stations aren’t the only places where the Gazans are standing in lines for bringing supplies; they are standing at the front of bakeries to receive a pack of bread and supermarkets to buy different kinds of canned foods.
The small public bakeries in the city are crowded with tens if not hundreds of citizens.
While the people are standing in these lines they are hearing the loud sounds of explosions taking place all over the strip.
Abdullah Al Hadad said: Everything nowadays is reminding me of the offensive that happened on Gaza strip in the winter of 2008, the explosions, deaths and harsh times of managing our lives.
Hassan Ali Baker an analyst, said: “The people are buying more than they need because they are afraid that this conflict might continue and become a war like the one in the year 2008-2009 which led to the death of around 1,300 people and 25,000 injuries.
