Gaza faces looming collapse of municipal services as fuel crisis persists

This came in a statement released by the municipalities on Sunday and read by Khan Yunis mayor Alaa al‑Batta during a news conference held in Khan Yunis, south of Gaza.

The municipalities attributed the fuel crisis to the Israeli refusal to allow in sufficient diesel supplies needed to operate vital facilities and equipment in the Strip.

“Since the ceasefire started 50 days ago, Gaza had received fuel supplies sufficient for just five days of work to clear roads, remove rubble, and facilitate the movement of displaced people,” the municipalities said.

“The very limited quantities allowed in are under the control and management of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which has become unable to respond to or provide even the minimum diesel needs of the municipalities to keep their services running,” the municipalities added.

The municipalities called on Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Algeria, Libya, and Bahrain, to intervene urgently and supply Gaza’s municipalities with fuel to ensure the continuation of their services and prevent the collapse of the municipal system amid the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave.