Gaza’s transport grinds to a halt amid spare parts crisis
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Severe restrictions on spare parts entering Gaza have paralysed transport, fuelled a black market and sent repair and travel costs soaring for residents, Euronews has learned.
Amid the limited flow of goods into Gaza, a near-total lack of spare parts imports has paralysed transport across the Strip.
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As part of the ceasefire terms, at least 600 lorries a day should be permitted to enter Gaza.
Data from the Government Information Office in Gaza indicate that the actual number of lorries entering is less than half of that figure.
Of the more than 3,000 commercial and humanitarian lorries that have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began, only one has carried spare parts.
The shortage of spare parts has left many cars parked and many engines idle, local business owners say.
"The buses are parked and the cars are parked, we have no tyres, no batteries and no oil," Mahmoud Sami, owner of a bus company in the Maghazi area of central Gaza told Euronews.
Sami's buses once ran daily routes, but operations have largely stopped as costs have surged to unprecedented levels.
According to current prices, a single bus tyre can cost up to 20,000 shekels (€5,725), while a battery may cost 15,000 (€ 4,295) shekels or more.
Sami added that some drivers have resorted to swapping tyres between vehicles just to keep a few running, as purchasing new parts is no longer feasible.
Tyres at exorbitant prices
A comparison of conditions before and after 7 October 2023 shows a deterioration in the market, in both availability and pricing.
The problem is no longer just high costs, but the market has shifted from relative abundance before the war to a severe shortage.
Mohammed Emad, a mechanic from Nuseirat camp, said that the cost of car repairs, which used to range between 2,000 shekels (€575) and 2,500 shekels (€715), now exceeds 17,000 shekels (€4,865).
As for engine oil, the price per litre has risen from about 300 shekels (€85) to more than 1,000 shekels (€285), with sharp fluctuations due to the ongoing regional conflict.
Desperation sets in
Economist Ahmed Abu Qamar said that the shortage of spare parts — or when they are allowed in, the lack of regulation — has enabled the black market to set prices.
These imbalances reflect directly on the citizens, he warned. Fares to travel between camps in central Gaza, for example, rose from one shekel to five.
For the parts that are permitted in, they do not meet 5% of market demand and often do not meet industry standards, Automotive Spare Parts Association Chairman Rushdi al-Khor said.
This reality has pushed many to seek out temporary solutions, such as using improvised components, old or second-hand auto parts, or used oil. Specialists warn that using old parts, especially braking systems and tyres, increases the likelihood of accidents.
Vehicles recycling motor oil
The shortage of spare parts and oil is not only impacting civilians and owners of commercial vehicles but also emergency response teams.
The spokesperson for the Civil Defence Authority in Gaza, Major Mahmoud Basal, warned that the agency's operational capacity has fallen to just 10%. He noted Gaza City had only three operational vehicles remaining.
In August 2025, the Civil Defence reported that 60% of its vehicles across the Strip had gone out of service due to shortages of fuel and spare parts.
The agency also revealed that teams had to resort to using used motor oil for their vehicles, despite it causing significant engine damage and shortening their operational lifespan.
The agency warned that if the situation deteriorates further, teams may have to reach incident sites on foot or rely on civilian vehicles.
With ongoing restrictions on the entry of goods and aid, the shortage of spare parts is expected to worsen, leaving residents dependent on increasingly limited transport options for daily life.
Economists have warned that if the situation persists, it could result in near-total paralysis of the transport and services sector, undermining people’s access to hospitals, essential services and workplaces.
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