All Gaza Bakeries Close as Flour, Fuel Run Out Amid ‘Israel’s’ All-Out Blockade

By Staff, Agencies

Head of the Bakery Owners Association in Gaza, Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, cautioned that flour reserves have been entirely depleted in the Gaza Strip, leading to the complete shutdown of all bakeries as the "Israeli" entity continues the intense siege against the Palestinian territory.

Al-Ajrami confirmed that the closures are due to severe shortages of flour and fuel, which have been triggered by "Israel's" escalating its siege on the territory.

“The flour stock in the Gaza Strip is zero, and all bakeries have stopped operating,” Ajrami said. He further noted that approximately 50% of households had exhausted their personal flour supplies.

Before the blockade, 25 bakeries contracted with the World Food Program were operational across Gaza, he noted. However, the closure of the territory’s crossings and depletion of essential supplies have forced these facilities to cease operations entirely, the official said.

Additionally, 25 of the 70 automated bakeries in Gaza have been destroyed during the genocide, particularly in the northern regions and the southern city of Rafah, the official said.

The majority of citizens had previously relied on community kitchens, known locally as takayas, for sustenance, according to Ajrami. However, these too have shut down due to a lack of supplies, further deepening the crisis.

He said “there is no alternative” to reopening the crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid, flour, and fuel.

The World Central Kitchen, an aid organization, announced on Wednesday that it could no longer prepare meals for Palestinians in Gaza due to the depletion of food supplies and fuel necessary for cooking and baking.

Since the closure of the crossings in early March, the organization has been unable to replenish its food stocks, leading to the shutdown of over 80% of its community kitchens. This development has left hundreds of thousands of Gazans without access to daily meals.

The majority of Gaza's citizens now depend entirely on aid, with the ongoing war rendering many impoverished.

According to the World Bank, the prolonged military onslaught has devastated the territory's economy and infrastructure.

The experts warned that continued inaction could lead to the "annihilation of the Palestinian population" there. They urged the international community to intervene and prevent further atrocities, emphasizing the moral imperative to act decisively in the face of escalating violence and humanitarian suffering.