In a statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas said that the Israeli authorities are “deliberately” preventing the supply of fuel to hospitals, limiting quantities to levels insufficient for their operation.

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The situation in the Gaza Strip is deteriorating daily, according to recent reports by the Islamist organization Hamas, which accuses Israel of blocking the delivery of fuel to the few hospitals still operating in the enclave.

According to data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only 16 out of 37 hospitals in Gaza are still functioning, putting thousands of patients’ lives at risk.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas said that the Israeli authorities are “deliberately” preventing the supply of fuel to hospitals, limiting quantities to levels insufficient for their operation.

The Palestinian organization criticized Israel for trying to convince the international community that it is allowing humanitarian aid to arrive while continuing what it describes as an “open war” against medical centers.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) also commented on this alarming situation, warning that Al Aqsa Hospital and the Nasser and European hospitals in southern Gaza are about to close due to a lack of fuel.

This crisis puts the lives of vulnerable patients, including newborns, at risk, as they depend on electricity to survive. MSF reported that its team is transferring fuel to these hospitals as a temporary solution for the next 36-48 hours.

In addition, the organization specified that in the neonatal intensive care unit of Nasser, MSF currently cares for three children and four newborns with mechanical ventilation, as well as 15 other newborns in incubators, all dependent on electricity supplied by fuel-powered generators.

“MSF is alarmed by this catastrophic situation, which could have tragic and serious consequences, as it is unlikely that the situation will improve. We call on all parties to facilitate the entry of fuel into Gaza and ensure its safe supply,” they requested.

These hospitals in the center and south of the enclave are essential to maintaining the already badly damaged health system in Gaza, bearing in mind that the three main ones in the north (Kamal Adwan, Indonesian, and Al Awda) have been rendered inoperative by the siege imposed by Israeli troops in this area.

In December 2024, only an average of 59 trucks a day with life-saving supplies were allowed into Gaza, compared to the 500 trucks that entered daily before October 7, 2023, according to the United Nations.

Israel, for its part, claims that it is making efforts to bring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and that it is the agencies responsible for distributing humanitarian aid, especially the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), that are not distributing it among the hungry Gazan population.

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