Gaza hospitals and households face generator failures as oil and parts run scarce

Since Israel cut grid electricity and limited fuel imports after the October 7, 2023 attacks, Gaza's health facilities rely on diesel generators that are now failing due to a lack of engine oil and spare parts. At Nasser Hospital, one generator is out of service and the others are overstressed, with oil changes stretched from the usual 250 hours to about 1,000 hours. Patients requiring continuous ventilation report dangerous delays as power rotates among wards.

Humanitarian groups say the shortage also hampers ambulances and water pumps, while local market prices for oil have surged to $1,300 per litre. Residents who depend on private generators face a twenty-fold increase in electricity costs, leaving many unable to afford even minimal power for basic needs. COGAT says a monitored mechanism exists to allow limited entry of oil and parts, but restrictions remain.