DaysofPal – Life in Gaza has come to a complete stop due to a crippling fuel shortage brought on by Israel’s continuous blockade, forcing residents to look for risky alternatives.
With fuel deliveries nearly nonexistent, young men have begun burning piles of plastic waste in makeshift refineries to produce a crude substitute. The process emits thick clouds of toxic smoke, but desperate civilians are left with little choice.
“We started this project because of the ongoing fuel crisis. There are almost no fuel deliveries. We collect plastic from the streets and burn it to make fuel to power cars and trucks,” said Arafat Juneed, who runs one such improvised refinery.
For drivers like Mahmoud Samour, the fuel substitutes, though costly and hazardous, are a lifeline. “These days, the price of one liter of real fuel is nearly 150 US dollars. I can’t afford that, so I use this alternative fuel, made here.
It’s not ideal, but it helps for the time being. And it’s not cheap, either. One liter of these costs 45 US dollars,” he explained.
The crisis is not only upending daily life but also threatening Gaza’s already devastated health system. The Ministry of Health in Gaza warned on Tuesday that hospitals could face a complete shutdown within days as generators run out of fuel.
“The fuel shortage crisis in the remaining operating hospitals has entered a very dangerous phase,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that engineering measures to ration fuel are no longer effective.
It warned that vital departments may soon close, putting the lives of hundreds of patients and wounded at risk.
The ministry renewed its urgent appeal for international intervention to deliver fuel supplies, stressing that without immediate action, Gaza faces a humanitarian and health disaster with “unforeseeable consequences.”
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