Gaza hospitals risk generator shutdown as oil runs out

Imminent mechanical failure

Gaza's Health Ministry warned Thursday that hospital electricity generators could stop working within days after stocks of operating oil were completely exhausted, threatening a total blackout of life-saving medical equipment across the besieged enclave. The ministry said in a statement that engineering teams are working under extreme conditions to monitor the generators and maintain electricity to critical departments including operating rooms and intensive care units.

The ministry emphasized that the generators have been operating under severe strain for months. "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, noting that the equipment faces catastrophic failure without immediate intervention.

Permanent damage risk

Officials warned that mechanical burnout could render the generators useless regardless of future fuel availability. "If generator engines burn out because of the lack of oil, they could become permanently unusable even if supplies become available later," the ministry said, renewing calls for urgent international intervention to prevent the collapse of Gaza's health infrastructure.

The ministry noted that more than 2,500 liters of operating oil are required monthly to prevent the remaining generators from collapsing. It added that Israeli restrictions have blocked the entry of essential maintenance supplies and fuel, threatening the shutdown of dialysis machines, neonatal incubators and ventilators.

Power crisis deepens

Hospitals in Gaza have relied entirely on backup generators since Israel cut electricity supplies to the territory in October 2023 and the enclave's sole power plant ceased operations on October 11 of that year. Widespread destruction of power lines and distribution networks during the war has prevented hospitals from reconnecting to the grid, forcing prolonged dependence on diesel-powered units.

In September, the ministry reported that 70 percent of hospital generators had already failed due to shortages of fuel, oil and spare parts. The electricity crisis has persisted despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on October 10, 2025, with Israeli authorities maintaining strict limits on materials needed to rehabilitate Gaza's devastated health system.