Fuel Shortages Threaten to Shut Down Gaza’s Largest Hospital

Fuel Shortages Threaten to Shut Down Gaza’s Largest Hospital
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Doctors in Al Shifa hospital—Gaza’s largest hospital—warn that critical services could collapse within days due to severe fuel shortages as the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues. Medical staff say the lack of fuel is crippling operations at the main medical centre, which relies on generators to power life-saving equipment.

Half of Gaza’s hospitals are only partially functioning, according to the UN, as constant airstrikes and a prolonged blockade have devastated medical infrastructure. Health officials say fuel deliveries are severely restricted, forcing hospitals to ration power, shut down departments and risk patient care.

Medical staff describe the hospital as turning into a “silent graveyard” as dialysis units shut down to preserve power for intensive care. Water treatment and oxygen supplies are also at risk. Aid groups warn the fuel crisis could cut off clean drinking water for tens of thousands of children, raising fears of disease outbreaks.

The World Health Organization says more than 600 attacks on health facilities have occurred since fighting escalated in October 2023. Israel denies targeting hospitals, accusing Hamas of using them for military purposes. With fuel supplies nearly exhausted, doctors say Gaza’s hospitals face an imminent humanitarian catastrophe unless aid reaches them soon.