NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza — Fuel is essential in the Gaza Strip, as it fuels hospitals, water pumps, taxis, generators used for electricity, and ovens in local bakeries. However, Gaza is currently facing a fuel shortage after Israel imposed a “full siege” on the territory and initiated an air war against Hamas. The United Nations warned that its relief agency operating in Gaza will run out of fuel in three days, which will have severe consequences, including a lack of water and functioning hospitals and bakeries, and the inability to deliver aid to those in desperate need.
The Israeli siege and military campaign were a response to a surprise attack by Hamas militants on Israeli communities near Gaza. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 people and prompted Israel to launch a military offensive in Gaza, leading to the deaths of over 4,700 Palestinians.
On Saturday, the first aid convoy since the start of the war entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. The convoy consisted of food, water, and medicine, but did not include fuel supplies as a result of concerns about its potential diversion for military purposes.
Palestinian militants utilize fuel to power the rockets they produce and launch at Israel, as well as for vehicles used during their operations.
Fuel is crucial for the daily functioning of life in Gaza, just like in any other part of the world. It ensures the operation of essential technologies and machines, such as sanitation systems, cellphones, and ambulances used to transport the wounded.
Gaza’s sole operational power plant ceased functioning on October 11 due to a lack of fuel, causing widespread darkness in the territory as a result of Israel halting its supply.
The Health Ministry spokesman, Ashraf al-Qudra, expressed concern on Saturday regarding the failure to provide local hospitals with fuel, as it puts the lives of sick and injured patients at risk.
Initially, when Israel announced the siege, it declared that no food, fuel, water, or power would enter Gaza until Hamas released the hostages it took during its attack on October 7.
Due to significant international pressure, including from President Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a deal with Egypt and the United Nations. This agreement permits the entry of food, water, and medicine through Rafah for civilians residing in southern Gaza.
Israel, which has control over the majority of the entry points into Gaza, has enforced restrictions on the transfer of “dual-use” items to the territory. These items include construction materials, chemicals, machinery, and spare parts, as reported by the Israeli rights group Gisha. Israel has prohibited certain dual-use items entirely, while others require special permits for entry.
In past conflicts, Israel has imposed limitations or completely halted fuel supplies to Gaza.
Before the recent escalation in violence, during August, approximately 1,200 trucks carrying diesel, benzene, and cooking gas entered Gaza, as reported by Tania Hary, Gisha’s executive director.
However, following the Hamas attack, Israel has obstructed fuel supplies to Gaza. An official involved in the negotiation of Gaza aid access stated that fuel is considered a potentially dual-use item by Israel. The official shared this information on the condition of anonymity, given the sensitivity of the ongoing negotiations.
In Nuseirat, Sara Saftawi and her family have sought refuge with numerous relatives in a single apartment building. They fled their home in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza due to the ongoing conflict. Their sole power source consists of a set of solar panels, which only provide approximately one hour of electricity per day.