Fuel runs out in Gaza, communications collapse: Emergency aid blocked

The Palestinian Ministry of Communications has warned that communication services in the Gaza Strip could come to a complete halt due to fuel shortages.

In a written statement, Palestinian Minister of Communications Abdurrezzak en-Netşe stated that fixed and mobile phone lines, as well as internet services in Gaza, will be interrupted due to the depletion of fuel.

Emphasizing that this situation will further deepen the humanitarian crisis, Netşe stated, "Citizens will be unable to access emergency and humanitarian aid services."

Netşe noted that widespread outages in fixed communication networks will begin today in the southern and central regions of Gaza, and if the crisis continues, the outages will expand to other regions, including mobile lines.

COMMUNICATION SERVICES HAVE BEEN CUT OFF FOR 100 DAYS

Reminding that Israel has blocked the entry of fuel into Northern Gaza, Netşe stated that communication services in those regions have been completely cut off for approximately 100 days for this reason. The Minister underscored that fuel is the only energy source for the operation of communication networks in Gaza.

Stating that the collapse of communication networks makes it difficult for civil defense teams to reach incident sites, Netşe also expressed that it seriously disrupts the work of international aid organizations and medical teams.

Due to Israel's attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, there have been frequent interruptions in fixed line, mobile phone, and internet services in the region.