Spare parts crisis paralyzes transport of medical staff in Gaza

The Union of Public Bus Companies in Gaza announced the suspension of medical staff transport services starting September 16, due to a shortage of spare parts and maintenance supplies. The decision includes doctors and nurses heading to government and international hospitals. The union describes the measure as forced and appeals to relevant authorities to intervene.

The Union of Public Bus Companies in the Gaza Strip announced the suspension of medical staff transport services starting Wednesday, September 16, 2026, due to the lack of response to its repeated appeals to provide bus spare parts and essential maintenance supplies. The suspension decision includes transporting doctors, nurses, and medical staff to their workplaces in hospitals and medical centers, including government and international ones. The union explained that the decision came after exhausting all available capabilities to ensure the continuation of the service, amid the unavailability of tires, oils, and basic maintenance materials. It emphasized that the measure is forced and beyond its control, stressing that continuing to operate buses under the shortage of maintenance supplies hinders ensuring their safety. The union's president, Anwar Abu Al-A'la, renewed the appeal to relevant authorities and humanitarian and international organizations to urgently intervene to provide maintenance supplies.