The ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, now in its 261 days, has resulted in thousands of casualties and extensive destruction of the region’s infrastructure. Amid this devastation, the Gaza Civil Defence announced that half of its vehicles in Rafah, southern Gaza, have ceased operation due to fuel shortages and targeted attacks on maintenance workshops by Israeli forces.
In a recent statement, the Civil Defence unit reported that the Israeli blockade has severely restricted humanitarian intervention efforts. This has led to 50% of their vehicles in Rafah being out of commission, primarily because of fuel shortages and the inability to repair vehicles due to a lack of spare parts and the destruction of maintenance facilities.
“This has directly impacted our ability to respond to emergencies and has forced us to transport the injured and deceased using fire trucks in both Rafah and the central governorates,” the statement read.
The unit highlighted the dire shortage of resources amid what the Israeli genocidal war against the Palestinian community. They placed full responsibility on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the United Nations for failing to provide the necessary fuel to continue their operations.
“This neglect violates international laws that mandate UN agencies to support humanitarian intervention efforts to protect lives and property,” the statement continued. “We urge UN Secretary-General António Guterres to ensure that UNRWA supplies the required fuel for firefighting, rescue, and emergency vehicles, and to bring attention to the blockade on the Civil Defence at the United Nations General Assembly.”
Since October 7th, Gaza has faced relentless Israeli attacks by land, sea, and air, resulting in the deaths of over 12,000 people, including 5,000 children and 3,300 women, and leaving more than 30,000 injured.
The Israeli genocide against Gaza represents a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, placing civilians and their properties in severe jeopardy. This situation demands urgent and decisive international intervention to halt the genocide and protect the civilians in Gaza.
