Ambulance services and emergency rescue efforts in Gaza are on the brink of collapse as the Israeli blockade continues to choke off fuel supplies, threatening to paralyze civil defense operations amid ongoing mass casualties from airstrikes.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the acute fuel shortage is severely delaying the evacuation of the wounded from areas hit by Israeli bombardment and hindering the retrieval of bodies trapped beneath rubble.
Dr. Fares Afaneh, head of medical services in northern Gaza, warned of a worsening health disaster. He said emergency medical services are now operating with just two functioning ambulances after most vehicles broke down due to fuel scarcity. Only six vehicles remain in service across the region—four of them borrowed—down from ten before the war.
He added that the remaining diesel supply is barely enough to keep the two ambulances running. Night hours are especially dire, as nearly all movement ceases, complicating emergency responses for childbirth, chronic illnesses, and elderly patients.
The pressure on the Palestinian Red Crescent has become overwhelming. Afaneh noted that the organization is now receiving more than 200 emergency calls daily—ranging from airstrike injuries to critical medical conditions.
With ambulances unable to reach victims, civilians are being forced to transport the wounded and the dead using tuk-tuks and carts—a devastating reflection of the humanitarian collapse unfolding under Israel’s siege and bombardment.
Red Crescent spokesperson Raed Al-Nems also sounded the alarm, warning that ambulance and emergency services are facing imminent paralysis. All gasoline-powered vehicles are already out of service, and the 25 remaining diesel-powered vehicles are at risk of stopping entirely as their fuel reserves run dry.
He stressed that the fuel crisis has begun to severely limit medical teams’ ability to respond to emergencies, especially as Israeli strikes intensify across the Strip.
Al-Nems also warned that the power generators relied upon by ambulance stations and health facilities may soon shut down, as nearly all electrical power has been cut off across Gaza.
He described conditions for medics as extremely dangerous and confirmed that the Red Crescent’s remaining fuel stock will last only a few more days. He called on the international community to intervene immediately to deliver fuel and prevent the total breakdown of life-saving health services.
Al-Nems concluded by urging global actors to pressure Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and open safe corridors for humanitarian aid—especially fuel for ambulances and medical centers—before a large-scale health catastrophe unfolds.
Since March 2, Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza, closing all crossings and blocking the entry of humanitarian aid. More than two million Palestinians now face a worsening humanitarian crisis, marked by extreme hunger and the total collapse of vital infrastructure.
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