7 September 2026

PRESS RELEASE

Al-Dameer Issues Report Entitled “The Fuel Crisis in the Gaza Strip: Escalating Deprivation Threatens the Essential Lifelines of Life”

Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights – Gaza today, Monday, 7 September 2026, issued a report entitled “The Fuel Crisis in the Gaza Strip: Escalating Deprivation Threatens the Essential Lifelines of Life.” The report documents the worsening acute shortage of fuel and its serious repercussions on the lives and well-being of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

The report is based on field interviews conducted by Al-Dameer researchers with officials and workers in relevant sectors, including the Head of the Petroleum Authority in the Gaza Strip and the Director of the Joint Services Council of Gaza Municipality, in addition to documented data and sources covering the period up to August 2026.

The report found that the average amount of fuel entering the Gaza Strip does not exceed 4.5 million litres per month, compared with approximately 15 million litres entering prior to the war, representing a deficit of around 70%. The data also showed that compliance with the entry of fuel trucks did not exceed 25% of the required quantities during the months covered by the report.

According to local economic sources, this shortage has contributed to the emergence of a widespread black market and sharp increases in fuel prices, forcing residents to resort to unsafe alternatives, including used vegetable oil and so-called “industrial diesel,” produced by melting plastic waste. The use of such alternatives has caused damage to vehicle engines and generators, in addition to posing serious health and environmental risks, particularly in densely populated residential areas.

In its report, Al-Dameer Association for Human Rights concluded that there is a significant gap between the current availability of fuel and pre-war levels of need, resulting in a continuing crisis across a wide range of civilian sectors.

The impact of the fuel shortage is not limited to the transportation sector. It extends to hospitals, water and wastewater treatment facilities, municipalities, bakeries, humanitarian operations, waste collection and disposal, the operation of machinery required for rubble and the removal of destroyed buildings, and the opening and clearing of roads and streets.

The shortage of fuel, coupled with the sharp increase in its prices, has also contributed to forcing residents to use unsafe alternatives, resulting in significant economic, health and environmental consequences.

Al-Dameer called on the international community, the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, United Nations agencies, and relevant humanitarian actors to take urgent and effective measures to:

• Ensure the regular and sufficient flow of fuel into the Gaza Strip;
• Protect vital civilian infrastructure and essential civilian facilities;
• Ensure that the population of the Gaza Strip is able to enjoy and exercise its fundamental rights;
• Hold accountable all those found to be responsible for violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law;
• Establish an independent international investigation into the effects of restrictions imposed on the entry of fuel and the extent to which such restrictions have affected the rights to life, health, water and sanitation; and Ensure accountability and prevent impunity for any violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law established through independent investigations.

End