Gaza’s two largest hospitals, al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in southern Khan Younis, urged for immediate assistance as they face the drastic threat of becoming “silent graveyards” due to severe fuel shortages resulting from Israel’s ongoing blockade. These warnings emerged as Israeli forces continued to target the area, claiming the lives of at least 74 individuals.
Muhammad Abu Salmiyah, director of al-Shifa, highlighted the dire situation for over 100 premature infants and approximately 350 dialysis patients under their care, stating that oxygen stations and essential medical facilities, including labs and blood banks, are on the verge of shutdown due to the electricity crisis. Without fuel, the hospital cannot function, transforming into a place of despair rather than healing.
Abu Salmiyah accused Israel of limiting fuel access to the hospitals, leading to the closure of al-Shifa’s dialysis department to prioritize power supply for the intensive care unit and operating rooms, which must remain operational at all costs.
In a similar state of urgency, Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis also faces its “crucial and final hours” because of the dwindling fuel supplies. Medical teams are in a race against time to save as many lives as possible in a battle against the encroaching darkness and imminent death. As the fuel counter nears zero, the facility, which requires 4,500 litres of fuel daily but only has 3,000 litres remaining, faces the grave reality of becoming a silent graveyard for patients who might have been saved.
Mohammad Sakr, a hospital spokesperson, reported that surgeries are now being performed without electricity or air conditioning, as sweat from exhausted staff drips into patients’ wounds, increasing the risk of infection. A video from Nasser Hospital vividly underscores these challenging conditions, showing doctors performing surgery amidst sweltering heat and lack of basic amenities.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has severely crippled the healthcare system over the past 21 months, with over 600 attacks on health facilities recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO), leaving only 19 hospitals partly operational out of 36. Moreover, over 1,500 health workers have been killed, and 185 detained.
According to the WHO, the Gaza health sector is on its knees due to the lack of fuel, medical supplies, and the constant influx of casualties from Israeli attacks. Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals in Gaza, issued a bleak forecast that hundreds, including dozens of premature infants, could die if fuel is not supplied urgently. Dialysis and intensive care patients are also at high risk, with conditions exacerbating injuries and the spread of diseases.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who recently visited Gaza, emphasized the impossibility of running a health facility without medicine and fuel, emphasizing the desperate need for international intervention. Israel’s blockade, which has restricted food and entirely halted fuel entry for over four months, has pushed the situation to a critical point.
Fuel is being conservatively used for essential services such as intensive care units and water desalination, but supplies are running out rapidly. Hospitals are forced to ration, ambulances grind to a halt, and water systems are on the verge of failure, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian agency (OCHA). Without an urgent influx of fuel, the deaths caused by these conditions are expected to rise sharply.
Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza has resulted in a devastating toll, with at least 57,575 killed and 136,879 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. In Israel, the October 7, 2023 attacks led to the deaths of 1,139 people, with over 200 taken captive, highlighting the complexity and tragedy of the ongoing conflict.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/10/more-than-100-premature-babies-at-risk-in-gaza-as-hospitals-run-out-of-fuel?traffic_source=rss
