Fuel Shortage Cuts Power at Gaza’s Largest Hospital, Threatening Lives

Al-Thawabta stated, “The power outage at Al-Shifa Medical Complex due to the acute fuel shortage constitutes a humanitarian crime threatening the lives of patients and the injured.”

He emphasized that this situation “reveals the extent of the worsening health disaster caused by the Israeli blockade and the total prevention of medical supplies.”

Al-Thawabta did not clarify the fate of patients in the hospital, which is only partially functioning after suffering extensive destruction by the Israeli military during two successive raids since October 7, 2023.

Al-Shifa is Gaza’s largest hospital and one of only five public hospitals still providing services under catastrophic conditions, according to Al-Thawabta.

He explained that five public hospitals are operating partially out of a total of sixteen, while Israel has forced 38 other hospitals—public, private, charitable, and field facilities—out of service through direct targeting, supply blockades, or storming and destruction.

Al-Thawabta warned of the total collapse of the healthcare system, “which has reached catastrophic levels of dysfunction and is in desperate need of hundreds of types of medical supplies, medications, and treatments.”

He held Israel and the international community fully responsible for the “catastrophic consequences” of the ongoing power outage.

Al-Thawabta urged all concerned international bodies to intervene urgently to rescue the healthcare sector and prevent its total collapse.

He stated, “Hospitals in the Strip currently have no actual fuel reserves. All are running on the last remaining fuel deliveries from two days ago, which will only last less than 48 hours.”

He noted that the “Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital” ceased operations yesterday after its main generator failed and fuel ran out, warning that this signals an impending healthcare collapse and a looming disaster threatening the lives of thousands of wounded and sick people in Gaza.

The currently operating hospitals in Gaza are: Nasser Medical Complex (South), Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital (Central), Al-Rantisi Hospital (North), Al-Oyoun (Eye) Hospital (North), and Al-Shifa Medical Complex (North), according to Al-Thawabta.

Since early March, Israel escalated its blockade by arbitrarily closing all crossings into Gaza, fully preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and fuel trucks.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war of genocide in Gaza that has left over 194,000 Palestinians killed or wounded—most of them women and children—with more than 10,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced. Starvation has claimed the lives of many, including children.