UPDATE - Gaza Health Ministry warns hospital generators may shut down

ADDS STATEMENT BY SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY

By Omar Alothmani, Husni Nadim, and Lina Altawell

GAZA CITY, Palestine/ISTANBUL (AA) - Gaza’s Health Ministry warned Thursday that hospital electricity generators could stop working after stocks of operating oil were completely exhausted amid Israel's continued blockade of the enclave.

The ministry said in a statement that engineering teams are working under difficult conditions to monitor the generators and keep electricity supply to critical hospital departments.

“Generators have been running for thousands of continuous hours without sufficient oil or maintenance, bringing them to the final point of mechanical danger,” the ministry said.

“If generator engines burn out because of the lack of oil, they could become permanently unusable even if supplies become available later,” it warned.

The ministry renewed its call for urgent intervention, saying the issue was no longer limited to securing operating oil but also involved protecting the remaining generators from complete failure.

On Wednesday, the ministry said stocks of oil needed to operate hospital generators had run out, adding that more than 2,500 liters (660 gallons) are urgently needed each month to prevent the remaining generators from breaking down amid Israeli restrictions on the entry of operating and maintenance supplies.

The ministry warned that the continuing shortage threatens the shutdown of life-saving medical departments.

In September, it said 70% of hospital generators had already gone out of service because of shortages of fuel, oil and spare parts caused by the Israeli blockade.

Separately, Gaza’s Social Development Ministry warned Thursday of “catastrophic humanitarian consequences” threatening displaced Palestinians after most bakeries stopped operating amid Israeli restrictions on flour and essential food supplies entering the enclave.

"Continued restrictions on flour and supplies needed to operate bakeries amounted to an extension of the systematic starvation policy and the use of food as a weapon against civilians," the ministry said.

"The restrictions are causing the collapse of the last line of food defense for vulnerable families, children and women who depend heavily on humanitarian aid and international relief organizations," it added.

The ministry attributed the bakery shutdowns to Israel holding up flour shipments and preventing the entry of supplies needed to keep them operating, describing the restrictions as a violation of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Hospitals in Gaza have relied heavily on generators to power operating rooms, intensive care units, neonatal incubators, ventilators, and dialysis machines since Israel cut electricity supplies to the enclave in October 2023.

Gaza’s sole power plant stopped operating on Oct. 11, 2023, after running out of fuel, causing a complete electricity blackout, while power lines, cables, and distribution networks suffered widespread destruction during the war.

Damage to the electricity network has prevented hospitals from reconnecting to the grid, forcing them to depend on generators for prolonged periods.

The electricity crisis has continued despite a ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, amid continued Israeli restrictions on supplies needed to rehabilitate Gaza’s health system.