Israel has launched an all-out attack on the Hamas group in Gaza (File)

Gaza has lost all mains electricity after the only power station in the Palestinian enclave ran out of fuel and had to shut down, Reuters reported Wednesday evening citing Hamas media sources.

This means people will have to rely on generators – if they have diesel to run them – to power hospitals and other critical infrastructure, even as Israel rains down missiles on the Palestinian territory.

“The only power plant in the Gaza Strip stopped functioning at 2 PM (4.30 PM IST),” Gaza Energy Authority chief Jalal Ismail said. He had earlier warned the plant was running short of fuel.

“It is very difficult – we don’t have water… internet… electricity,” Kamal Mashharawi, a Gaza resident, told the BBC, “We tried to go to the nearest supermarket but it was unsafe because of explosions.”

Electricity shut-off in Gaza has sparked fears of an additional crisis as hospitals scramble to treat thousands who have been injured in Israel’s devastating counterattacks.

Israel on Monday had ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza – a 365 square km blockaded patch of land that is home to 2.3 million people and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told reporters, “No electricity, no food, no water, and no gas – it’s all closed.” Shortly after Mr Gallant’s statement Israel stopped supply of fuel, water and food to Gaza.

Israel’s siege was in response to a brutal terror attack by Hamas operatives early Saturday; an estimated 1,500 gunmen stormed the heavily fortified border and slaughtered hundreds.

Hamas also bombarded Israel with thousands of rockets, overpowering the famed ‘Iron Dome’.

Nearly 4,000 people have died on both sides and thousands more have been injured.