'Why is it our fault?': Gaza left with dwindling fuel as Israel closes borders amid its war on Iran
Gaza's hospitals and water systems face disruption as aid leaders warn supplies may last just days under the current border closure.
Gaza is rapidly running out of its limited fuel supply and stocks of food staples may become tight, officials say, after Israel blocked the entry of fuel and goods into the war-shattered territory, citing fighting with Iran.
Israel's military closed all Gaza border crossings on Saturday after announcing air strikes on Iran carried out jointly with the United States. Israeli authorities say the crossings cannot be operated safely during war and have not said how long they would be shut.
Few days’ worth of supplies
Gaza is wholly dependent on fuel brought in by lorries from Israel and Egypt and a lack of fresh supplies would put hospital operations at risk and threaten water and sanitation services, local officials say. Most Palestinians in Gaza are internally displaced after Israel's two-year war on the enclave.
"I expect we have maybe a couple of days' running time," said Karuna Herrmann, the Jerusalem director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which manages fuel distribution in Gaza.
Amjad Al Shawa, a Palestinian aid leader in Gaza who works with the UN and NGOs, estimated fuel supplies could last three or four days, while stocks of vegetables, flour and other essentials could also soon run out if the crossings remain shut.
Israel's COGAT military agency, which controls access to Gaza, claimed that enough food had been delivered to the territory since the start of an October truce to provide for the population.
"(The) existing stock is expected to suffice for an extended period," COGAT said, without elaborating. It declined to comment on potential fuel shortages.
Hamada Abu Laila, a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, said the closures were stoking fear of a return of famine, which gripped parts of the enclave last year after Israel blocked aid deliveries for 11 weeks.
"Why is it our fault, in Gaza, with regional wars between Israel, Iran and America? It is not our fault," Abu Laila said.