Gaza hospitals risk power cuts as generator oil runs out

Hospitals in Gaza risk losing power after supplies of oil for their electricity generators ran out, the Health Ministry warned on Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency.

The ministry said the generators still in operation were working under “complex engineering and technical conditions” and faced the risk of immediate mechanical failure and deterioration.

A shutdown would disrupt electricity to numerous vital departments and units providing life-saving care, the ministry said.

Hospitals need more than 2,500 litres of oil a month to run their generators. The ministry said it had repeatedly warned that emergency solutions supplying limited amounts of oil would not keep the generators running much longer, given their extended operating hours and urgent maintenance needs.

It called on all relevant parties to meet their humanitarian responsibilities and intervene immediately to ensure the delivery of oil and spare parts needed to keep the generators operating.

Gaza’s healthcare system continues to struggle amid widespread damage to the enclave’s infrastructure and what the ministry described as ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire. Those violations have killed more than 1,500 people over the past year, the source reported.

Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, injured 175,000 others and destroyed or damaged about 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure, according to the report.