Palestinians are facing long queues for essentials including fuel due to Israel's total blockade of the Gaza Strip. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has warned the Middle East is on ''the verge of the abyss''.
ADVERTISEMENTA fuel shortage in Gaza is adding to the struggle to survive as the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group continues.
Israel cut fuel, food and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip in response to the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel which killed more than 1,400 people including foreign nationals.
The Israeli government said the total siege would be enforced until Hamas released the 199 or so people it had taken hostage.
Israel's Iron Dome continues to intercept rockets fired from Gaza towards Israeli towns and cities.
The United Nations said the Israeli military's bombardment of Gaza, which Tel Aviv said was targeting Hamas, had killed more than 3,000 people including 1,000 children.
That was before the strike on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital compound on Tuesday night which killed at least 500 people.
Gaza without electricity or fuel for back-up generators
Palestinians in Gaza have no electricity or fuel to power their back-up generators and fill up their cars.
Water has also become a serious problem since Israel cut off its part of the supply; it provided one-third of all drinking water in Gaza.
Without electricity, there is also no way to pump water to houses.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, residents were desperately trying to fill up water at municipal sanitation stations on Wednesday.
''Everyone needs fuel to pump water to their homes, to irrigate their farms and to provide water for poultry, cattle and sheep. The whole world relies on fuel; it is an essential commodity just like food for us,'' Khan Younis resident Khalid al-Najjar said.
Earlier this week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed to Hamas to immediately release all hostages and to Israel to grant ''unimpeded access for humanitarian aid'' into the Gaza Strip.
''In this dramatic moment, as we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East, it is my duty as Secretary General of the United Nations to make two strong humanitarian appeals,'' he said in a statement.
The Israel-Hamas war has become the deadliest of five Gaza wars for both sides.