GAZA CITY / PNN / 

All bakeries across the Gaza Strip ceased operations on Tuesday after running out of flour and fuel, following a month-long Israeli blockade preventing their entry into the besieged territory.

Abdel Nasser Al-Ajrami, head of the Gaza Bakeries Association, told reporters on Monday that the last remaining bakeries operating with support from the World Food Programme (WFP) would close today due to the depletion of flour supplies.

"The drums of starvation are beating once again," Al-Ajrami said, noting that WFP-supported bakeries in southern Gaza had already shut down on Monday, while those in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip would stop operating as of today.

Al-Ajrami attributed the closures to the blockade and restrictions on goods, which have led to severe shortages of flour, fuel, and yeast. He warned that the shutdown would have dire consequences for Gaza’s already devastated population, which is struggling amid the ongoing war. The crisis is further exacerbated by the lack of cooking gas.

Gaza requires 450 tonnes of flour daily to meet basic needs, according to the Gaza Bakeries Association. Before the closures, bakeries had been supplying around 50% of the population’s bread needs.

The territory had 140 operational bakeries, including 70 industrial bakeries, before the current conflict. A significant number of these have been destroyed by Israeli forces, particularly in northern Gaza. Damage to the sector is estimated in the millions of dollars.

Since 7 October 2023, Israel’s military offensive on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 50,399 Palestinians, the majority of them children and women, with 114,583 others injured, according to the latest figures. The toll continues to rise, as many victims remain trapped under rubble and in inaccessible areas, where rescue teams are unable to reach them.