Gaza’s remaining hospitals, health centers, and oxygen stations will cease operations within 48 hours as fuel for generators runs out, according to a statement from Gaza’s Health Ministry shared on Telegram at noon local time Sunday.
Aid groups report that Israel’s closure of the crucial Rafah border crossing last month has severely limited access to food, fuel, and medical supplies in Gaza. A U.N. report released this month warned that over 1 million people in Gaza could face death and starvation by mid-July.
Since October 7, many of Gaza’s medical facilities have been damaged, raided, or evacuated. Israel has targeted hospitals as part of its military campaign, alleging that Hamas uses them for militant activities.
Last week, UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, highlighted a “severe shortage of medicine & fuel,” delaying lifesaving operations in Gaza. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) added on Friday that the lack of medicine and fuel is forcing aid organizations to scale back their services.
Fuel shortages in Gaza are also critically affecting water sanitation and hygiene services, which are now “hanging by a thread,” according to OCHA.
