GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center)The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip issued an urgent appeal on Friday, warning of an imminent collapse of the healthcare system due to a severe shortage of fuel needed to operate hospital generators and ambulances.
In its statement, the ministry said the current policy of “rationing and dripping” limited amounts of fuel to health institutions is pushing patients closer to death each day. Hospitals have been forced to adopt extreme austerity measures, including shutting down power in vital departments and postponing life-saving treatments such as dialysis.
The fuel crisis has also crippled ambulance services, leaving many families with no choice but to transport the wounded and ill citizens in animal-drawn carts—a stark image of the ongoing collapse of Gaza’s health sector under siege.
“This catastrophic situation threatens the lives of thousands of patients, especially those in intensive care units reliant on life-support machines,” the ministry warned. “Medical teams are operating under relentless pressure and in extremely hazardous conditions as they struggle to save lives with dwindling resources.”
The Ministry of Health called on international institutions, humanitarian organizations, and relevant authorities to urgently intervene and supply the necessary quantities of fuel to ensure the continued operation of hospitals, emergency rooms, and ambulance fleets.
The health crisis comes amid Israel’s ongoing blockade and genocidal war in Gaza, which has now lasted over 21 months and led to the complete collapse of critical infrastructure, leaving more than two million people without access to basic services, food, or medical care.
