Speaking from occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands says part of the issue being raised is that fuel was supposed to be used as “a bargaining tool” to facilitate the release of captives.

“It’s incredibly unpopular among the far-right … they feel while the fuel is being given, the captives are not being returned,” he said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the move was leading Israel “to a wrong policy,” adding “there is no sense in giving the enemy humanitarian gifts”, until all captives are released.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slammed the decision as a “grave mistake” that “gives oxygen to the enemy”. Avigdor Liberman, head of a nationalist right-wing party, urged the cabinet for “this recklessness to be stopped at once”.