Egyptian official: Zahhar on tour to end fuel crisis

Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar traveled to Egypt on Saturday in the first stop of an international tour to seek support for the movement's position on a fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian security official said. Zahhar passed through the Rafah crossing from Gaza on Saturday afternoon with a delegation of Gaza government members, the official at Egypt's side of the terminal said. The senior member of Hamas' Gaza leadership is set to meet with security officials in Egypt, before heading abroad, the official said, without elaborating on the destinations of Zahhar's tour. He seeks to promote Hamas' stance that fuel be delivered to Gaza directly through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, rather than using the Israeli-controlled terminal Kerem Shalom. Gaza has been beset by widespread power blackouts since Egypt blocked supplies through an underground tunnel network. Hamas wants fuel purchased from Egypt to be delivered through its Rafah terminal -- the only crossing into Gaza not under Israeli control. Egypt says Rafah does not have the capacity for fuel pumping and re-fitting the crossing is restricted under international agreements. On Friday a day's supply of fuel for Gaza arrived from an Israeli company through the Israeli-controlled crossing, and a delegation of PA officials also headed to Cairo earlier Saturday seeking a deal for continuous fuel deliveries to the Gaza Strip.