Severe Fuel Crisis in Gaza Puts Hospitals and Essential Services on the Brink of Collapse

The Gaza Strip is experiencing a severe fuel crisis that directly impacts hospitals, government agencies, municipalities, and essential services, amidst escalating challenges despite the second phase of the ceasefire agreement coming into effect. From the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, south of the Strip, sources reported that electricity generators are operating at no more than 40% of their maximum capacity, due to fuel shortages and the breakdown of some generators due to a lack of spare parts, while the Israeli occupation prevents the entry of new large generators.

Sources added that the number of fuel trucks that have entered Gaza since the agreement came into force does not exceed 14% of what is required, which threatens the continuity of operations at the Nasser Complex and delays the provision of medical services to patients, especially children, the elderly, and those with chronic diseases. They confirmed that the medical sector faces double pressure due to fuel shortages, as hospitals rely on generators to ensure the continuity of operating rooms and critical departments, noting that the continuous shortage threatens the healthcare system's ability to provide necessary care and increases the difficulty of transferring emergency cases for treatment abroad.

In Gaza City, sources quoted the management of a fuel station as saying that 70% of stations were completely or partially damaged during the recent war, while the daily supplied fuel volume is insufficient to meet needs. Sources said that sales have dropped from more than 10,000 liters per day before the war to only about 200 liters currently, indicating that residents are forced to rely on black markets and unsafe alternatives, amid a significant increase in prices.

Sources warned that the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation on the entry of fuel equipment and spare parts further complicate the crisis, as there are no alternatives to operate generators or repair damaged equipment, which leaves residents and healthcare providers in direct confrontation with an ongoing crisis that threatens their daily lives.

Residents of the Gaza Strip suffer from complex crises created by Israel with the aim of pressuring the population and turning their lives into an unbearable hell, after a two-year war of extermination, which left more than 71,000 martyrs and over 171,000 injured, and massive destruction affecting 90% of civilian infrastructure.

The number of fuel trucks that have entered Gaza since the agreement came into force does not exceed 14% of what is required, which threatens the continuity of operations at the Nasser Medical Complex and delays services for patients.