Gaza: The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced today that it has halted operations to recover the bodies of Palestinian martyrs from beneath the rubble and destroyed homes after its vehicles stopped operating due to the fuel shortage crisis in the Strip.
According to Qatar News Agency, Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, stated that the agency has suspended the movement of its vehicles because the minimum amount of fuel required for humanitarian interventions was unavailable. This situation arose as the occupation has prevented the entry of the required fuel quantities into the Strip. The suspension affects missions to retrieve the bodies of martyrs from under the rubble, as well as the ability to complete tasks related to removing hazards from buildings at risk of collapse or partially destroyed due to Israeli shelling.
Basal called on international bodies, institutions, and humanitarian organizations to work toward supplying rescue teams, civil defense crews, and humanitarian workers with the fuel needed to operate vehicles and equipment, ensuring the continuity of humanitarian services.
In another development, Basal informed QNA that civil defense crews lack sufficient capacity to respond to distress calls related to weather-related emergencies that have affected the Strip in recent days.
Gaza is currently experiencing a severe fuel and energy crisis due to the Israeli occupation's tightening of the blockade and the closure of all border crossings into the Strip. The situation remains unchanged even after the cessation of hostilities, as the entry of fuel, reconstruction materials, debris removal equipment, and essential humanitarian service supplies continues to be blocked.