The dependence of the Israeli authorities on foreign oil has once again drawn scrutiny, as newly compiled data reveals that dozens of countries continued supplying fuel throughout the campaign in Gaza. Despite two years of harrowing testimonies from families enduring bombardment, displacement, and the collapse of every basic service, oil tankers kept arriving, propping up a military machine already accused by international jurists of committing genocide. Much of the crude came from states fully aware of the devastation unfolding in the enclave, yet they maintained their commercial ties even as the humanitarian collapse became impossible to ignore.

Shipping records show that a small group of exporters dominated the flow of crude, while several major powers continued to deliver refined fuel essential to air operations. One nation in particular remained the exclusive supplier of military-grade jet fuel, a reminder that foreign backing extends far beyond political statements of support. Analysts warn that such assistance risks making these governments legally exposed under international law, which obliges states not only to refrain from aiding genocide, but to prevent it. As communities in Gaza endured relentless firepower and worsening deprivation, these fuel routes stayed open, raising questions about the moral and legal responsibilities of those enabling the war’s machinery.

Legal experts in Europe and beyond have repeatedly stressed that states cannot claim ignorance. They argue that continuing to supply fuel, civilian or military, is inseparable from the wider system of domination that governs Palestinians’ lives, from the electricity grid extending illegally into occupied territory to the expansion of settlement infrastructure. For these experts, the line between everyday energy use and military expansion is intentionally blurred. The growing demand for an international energy embargo reflects mounting frustration as the death toll and destruction rise, and as evidence of crimes against humanity accumulates while external support for the campaign persists.

Across diplomatic circles, pressure is building on governments to reconsider their role. As global leaders discuss climate commitments at major summits, many observers point to the contradiction between public pledges on environmental responsibility and the continued flow of fossil fuels into a genocidal war. For people in Gaza, whose homes have been reduced to rubble and whose access to water, food, and medical care has been systematically destroyed, these shipments are not abstract geopolitical decisions, they are a direct lifeline to the military power devastating their communities.