The Israeli military has said it will open a border crossing with the Gaza Strip for a few hours on Sunday to allow fuel deliveries to the territory.

The announcement comes a day after parts of Gaza were plunged into darkness because of fuel shortages.

The territory relies on Israel for fuel but Israel says it stopped regular deliveries for security reasons.

UN officials have warned unless Israel eases border restrictions, there could be a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

"Fuel deliveries will resume to the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning via the Nahal Oz crossing," an Israeli military spokesman told the AFP news agency.

The Palestinian electricity company has had to shut down three of the four generators running the area's main 140-megawatt power plant.

Palestinian officials have said up to 400,000 Gaza residents face the possibility of having no electricity.

Israel began cutting off fuel supplies to Gaza after the Islamist group Hamas took over the territory in June.

Hamas and other militant factions have fired thousands of rockets into Israel from Gaza.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Palestinian family in a blackout-struck area of Gaza City