Riyadh: More than two years after the start of the war, the Gaza Strip is facing a harsh new chapter of humanitarian suffering as a different form of blockade emerges to disrupt what remains of daily life. The occupation has imposed what is being described as an "engine siege," a silent tool used to stifle recovery by systematically preventing the entry of vehicle spare parts, engine oil, tires, and fuel. What initially appeared to be a logistical bottleneck has evolved into a critical threat, risking the shutdown of hospital operating rooms, the paralysis of municipal services, and the collapse of transportation systems. This has forced a return to rudimentary means of mobility in the besieged enclave.

According to Qatar News Agency, the crisis, centered on shortages of oil, spare parts, and fuel, has emerged as one of the most complex tools of the blockade. Behind the widespread destruction, an entire humanitarian infrastructure is nearing collapse, from hospital operating rooms reliant on aging generators to water distribution and waste collection vehicles that have increasingly fallen out of service.

Director General of Engineering and Maintenance at the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Mazen Al Arayeshi said the crisis in hospitals now extends beyond medicine shortages to the core of the system: power generators. He noted that attacks have deliberately targeted medical infrastructure, putting 90 generators completely out of service. In remarks to QNA, Al Arayeshi noted that the remaining 38 generators are operating beyond maximum capacity with extremely limited supplies of oil. This comes at a time when the health sector requires approximately 2,500 liters of oil per month to maintain operations. He warned that any failure of these generators would place hundreds of patients at immediate risk, particularly infants in incubators and dialysis patients, in addition to causing the potential spoilage of vaccines and blood units due to the loss of refrigeration.

For his part, Gaza Municipality spokesperson Hosni Mhanna warned of an escalating paralysis affecting essential municipal services. He stated that the lack of lubricants and essential spare parts has prevented municipalities from operating heavy machinery needed to open roads, remove debris, collect waste, deliver water, and run wells. Mhanna added that around 85 percent of municipal vehicles have been destroyed in the war. The remainder are at risk of complete shutdown at any moment due to the lack of spare parts, generators, tires, and oil. This has forced municipalities to rely on deteriorating private-sector equipment, raising serious concerns about a total collapse of waste management and other essential services. Such a collapse could trigger a severe environmental and public health crisis on top of the ongoing humanitarian emergency.

The shortage of spare parts, oil, and fuel has also disrupted daily life for residents. Many have been forced to revert to basic and improvised means of transportation as large numbers of vehicles have ceased operating due to the lack of essential supplies and the prohibitive cost of what remains available. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport in Gaza Anis Arafat said the scene on the ground in Gaza's streets has "gone back decades." He noted that the crisis extends beyond the destruction of approximately 80 percent of road infrastructure, main streets, and intercity routes to include a prolonged ban on the entry of vehicle tires and engine oil. Speaking to QNA, Arafat described the gap between pre-war and post-war conditions as "vast and painful." He explained that the previously steady flow of vehicles, spare parts, and fuel had ensured price stability, with fuel costing between 5 and 7 shekels (around USD 2) per liter. He added that the crisis has since surpassed all expectations, with around 70 perc ent of vehicles either fully or partially damaged. Because roads are no longer fit for use and vehicles are largely out of service due to the absence of maintenance supplies, residents are forced to walk long distances, worsening daily hardships.

In the same context, Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza Ismail Al Thawabta said the ban on engine oil is a deliberate measure aimed at deepening the humanitarian crisis. He held the occupation fully responsible for potential deaths among the wounded and sick resulting from generator failures in hospitals, which rely entirely on them amid the continued absence of electricity since the start of the war. Al Thawabta told QNA that Gaza has entered a deep humanitarian crisis due to ongoing restrictions on crossings and the prevention of essential supplies. He warned that the continued shortage could lead to the shutdown of all power-generating units in the Strip, directly impacting hospital incubators and operating rooms.

Meanwhile, economic analyst Ahmed Abu Qamar stressed that Gaza is facing a severe crisis in the transport sector driven by unprecedented price increases for spare parts. He noted in remarks to QNA that the crisis reflects a distorted market marked by acute shortages, weak oversight, and widespread infrastructure destruction. Prices of available items, such as engines and tires, have surged sharply amid severe scarcity. He added that less than 5 percent of the market's needs for spare parts are being allowed entry, alongside high "coordination fees" for goods that can reach up to USD 1 million per truck. This has driven up internal transport costs across the Strip, further burdening residents amid high unemployment and declining incomes.

In field testimonies to QNA, public transport driver Yasser Ahmed said the price of one liter of engine oil has risen from around USD 2 to approximately USD 450. He added that replacing oil for his vehicle's generator would cost around USD 1,800 for four liters, depending on availability. He warned that vehicle movement could come to a complete halt within a month if essential supplies are not allowed into the Strip. Ihab Al Hattab, a Palestinian citizen from Gaza, highlighted that residents have increasingly resorted to animal-drawn carts and improvised vehicles not designed for public transport, often paying up to three times the usual fares for exhausting journeys.

Despite the cessation of direct military operations, the Gaza Strip continues to face the repercussions of the war, particularly through restrictions on the entry of goods. Vital sectors remain constrained by tight measures that prevent the entry of basic maintenance materials, turning a technical crisis into a humanitarian emergency that threatens the lives of thousands of Palestinians.