JERUSALEM, Dec 5, 2007 (AFP) - The United Nations expressed grave concern on Wednesday about the impact of both Israeli fuel cuts and a petrol station strike in Gaza, fearing that both measures would harm civilians.

'We are very concerned about the situation in Gaza and are calling for the resumption of the fuel supply in full and for the distribution of fuel within Gaza to be resumed,' UN spokesman Richard Miron told AFP.

'We don't want to see the ordinary people of Gaza suffering for the actions of others,' the spokesman for the UN special coordinator's office added.

Israel has in recent weeks sharply curtailed the amount of fuel it supplies to the increasingly isolated Gaza Strip in a bid to curb Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks aimed at nearby Israeli towns.

In response to dwindling supplies the Gaza association for petrol stations has refused to receive gas shipments from local authorities, who in turn have channeled all imports into storage.

Israel provides Gaza with all of its fuel but has delivered only restricted supplies since October 28, a month after declaring Gaza a 'hostile entity' following its violent takeover by the Islamist Hamas movement in June.

Hamas, which is pledged to the destruction of Israel, has accused the Jewish state of pursuing a policy of collective punsihment against the impoverished territory's 1.5 million inhabitants.

Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups had appealed to Israel's supreme court to halt the fuel cuts, claiming they endanger civilians.

But last week the court said the state could continue with the restrictions, saying it was possible to do so without affecting the humanitarian situation.