Gaza City: Gaza's Hamas-run government banned the use of cooking gas to fuel cars in the territory on Saturday, citing expected shortages ahead of Ramadan.

Earlier this year, Israel slashed fuel shipments in response to attacks from the Gaza Strip, leading to a severe shortage. As a result, around 8,000 Gaza residents converted their vehicles to run on cooking gas, said Ahmad Ali, of the Palestinian Petroleum Commission.

Four months ago, the Strip's Hamas rulers imposed a ration on the cooking gas. But Ali said Gaza residents would need more cooking gas for the upcoming Ramadan.

"We have a massive shortage of [cooking] gas," Ali said.

Gaza residents may currently only purchase six kilos (13 pounds) of cooking gas at a time, down from 12 kilos (26 pounds) before shortages began.

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Ali said Israel has not beefed up its cooking gas supplies to Gaza, despite a June truce with Hamas that was supposed to include increases in supplies.

Ali said Hamas officials would inspect cars coming in for registration and police would also enforce the new rule.

The Hamas-run Gaza government previously banned vehicles from using vegetable oil to power diesel cars after residents reported feeling sick from smelling the fumes.

Private vehicle owners appear to be abiding by the ban, but cab drivers who haul residents through Gaza still use vegetable oil, apparently because of continuing fuel shortages.

West Bank raid: Four charities shut

Palestinian security forces have shut down four Hamas-linked charities and two printing presses in and around the southern West Bank town of Hebron, a security official said yesterday.

Security forces loyal to president Mahmoud Abbas shut down all six on Friday after raiding the buildings and confiscating a number of items from them, the official said.