Gaza Health Ministry warns fuel shortage exacerbates ‘severe collapse of health system'
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) called on Saturday for an immediate fuel delivery to the war-torn Gaza Strip ahead of an anticipated shutdown of basic services as Israel continued its war on the enclave.
“Without urgent shipments of fuel into Gaza, a complete shutdown of basic services will bring even more suffering: a collective punishment,” the UN agency said in a statement.
“Fuel must be allowed in at scale through the UN, including UNRWA, to maintain lifesaving services,” including hospital generators, ambulances, bakeries, and water pumps.
On Saturday, Gaza's Health Ministry warned that power generators are on the verge of shutdown due to fuel shortages.
“The crisis exacerbates the severe collapse of the healthcare system and the remaining operating hospitals,” the ministry said.
It renewed “the urgent appeal to the concerned entities to intervene and pile pressure on the (Israeli) occupation to supply the necessary amount of fuel for operating the generators.”
On Tuesday, the ministry announced the halt of dialysis services at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City due to a lack of fuel.
Israel has kept Gaza crossings closed to food, medical, and humanitarian aid since March 2, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis in the enclave, affecting Gaza's 2.4 million residents. The blockade has pushed the region into famine conditions, with many reported deaths due to hunger.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a genocidal war on Gaza, killing more than 57,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
