Aid Groups Warn Engine Oil Restrictions Threaten Humanitarian Operations in Gaza

GAZA — Aid coalitions warned in October 2026 that Israeli restrictions on the entry of engine oil are severely constraining humanitarian operations and disrupting critical life-saving services across the Gaza Strip.

According to a joint statement from the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) and the Palestinian Non-Governmental Network (PNGO), residual stocks of engine oil are nearly depleted after prolonged aid restrictions. The organizations reported that the price of engine oil within Gaza has surged to $900 per liter, compared to approximately $10 per liter inside Israel, pricing non-governmental organizations out of purchasing the limited supplies remaining on the local market.

Following the cutoff of central electricity supplies in October 2023, infrastructure in Gaza—including intensive care units, incubators, desalination facilities, and water networks—has relied heavily on generators and solar energy. However, aid groups noted that solar power cannot fully sustain heavy medical equipment and its output declines significantly during winter months, leaving operations dependent on functional generators.

A July survey of 20 international non-governmental organizations conducted by AIDA found that respondents had halved their average generator run-time to conserve remaining oil supplies. The survey also indicated that healthcare providers have reduced lighting and heating to maintain cold-chain storage for vaccines and insulin, with one medical organization utilizing ice-filled cooler boxes overnight.

Operational impacts cited in the statement include an international aid group reducing water distribution from 10,000 to 5,000 households, while another group reported plans to suspend nutrition monitoring due to inoperable transport vehicles. Medical organizations also reported that approximately 70 percent of hospital generators were non-operational by September due to the lack of engine oil.

AIDA and PNGO stated that repeated discussions with Israeli authorities have not resolved the issue and urged the immediate entry of engine oil through both humanitarian and commercial channels to sustain essential services and stabilize costs.

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