You have fusible links in the top left and the shunt right below it. All those red/white wires are providing power. Unless you know what you're doing, I wouldn't have pulled them out. The fusible links can be replaced with something like a maxifuse distribution block. The shunt, which contains some fuses can be bypassed. You have a lot more searching to do. Just look up fusible links and shunt on hybridz. To answer your question, you need them, but they can also be replaced with modern fuses.