A leading businessman says blockaded Gaza is rapidly running out of cooking gas after a large crowd destroyed parts of the only cargo crossing through which fuel and gas can enter the territory from Israel.

Samir Hamada, head of the association of cooking gas vendors, said Sunday that Gaza's 2 million residents consume about 350 tons of gas daily, but that only about 300 tons are still available at private sales outlets. He says the territory's Hamas rulers ordered sales to stop to assess the shortage.

Late Friday, a large crowd of Palestinians badly damaged a fuel and gas terminal and a conveyor belt at the Kerem Shalom crossing. Israel closed the crossing and said it would likely take weeks or months to repair the damage.