Gaza City – The dialysis department at Gaza’s largest medical facility, al-Shifa Hospital, has been forced to shut down due to a complete depletion of fuel caused by Israel’s ongoing blockade, putting hundreds of kidney failure patients in immediate danger.
On Tuesday morning, officials at the al-Shifa Medical Complex announced that the dialysis unit would cease operations by noon as its generators could no longer function without fuel. This marks the first time since the war on Gaza began that the hospital’s dialysis department has gone completely offline.
“This is a catastrophic moment,” said Dr. Muhammad Abu Hassira, a nephrology and internal medicine specialist at al-Shifa, in an interview with Middle East Eye. “Patients arrived today for life-saving dialysis sessions, and we had no option but to send them home. This has grave implications for their health.”
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports that there are currently 728 kidney failure patients across the besieged enclave. These patients are usually treated across four dialysis centres—now all facing collapse due to power and resource shortages.
With no alternative facilities available, the crisis has reached a life-threatening point for hundreds. According to Middle East Eye, over 350 patients are now at risk of imminent death, and more than 400 kidney patients have already died since the war began in October 2023 due to the compounded effects of Israel’s siege and destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure.
“This is a death sentence for us,” said Emad Qasem, a kidney patient quoted by Al Jazeera. “Missing even one dialysis session can be fatal. I am in pain, I’m full of fluid, and I have nowhere to go.”
Another patient, Basheer al-Dalou, shared his desperate situation: “I’ve gained five extra kilos of fluid that needs to be removed immediately. But when I reached the hospital today, everything was shut. Without dialysis, this fluid will poison me. I could die.”
The health catastrophe in Gaza continues to escalate as Israel’s blockade tightens and international medical aid remains out of reach for the civilian population.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is on the verge of total collapse, and the international community faces mounting pressure to intervene.
