Gaza hospitals face critical shortage of incubators and oxygen

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip are facing a critical shortage of incubators and oxygen, severely impacting neonatal care for premature and underweight newborns. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, medical staff have been forced to place multiple infants in single incubators due to a lack of available equipment.

Hatem Dhahir, head of the neonatal department at Nasser Hospital, described the situation as “dire” and “catastrophic,” noting that the shortage of supplies is worsening. The healthcare system has been significantly damaged by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, leaving many facilities unusable.

Medical professionals and humanitarian organizations attribute the scarcity of specialized equipment to restrictions on goods entering the territory. While Israeli authorities state they only filter items with potential “dual use” for military purposes, doctors report a lack of essential medical supplies. According to UN OCHA, approximately 70 percent of newborns in Gaza are premature or underweight, with one in three pregnancies classified as high-risk.