Newborn infants in the Gaza Strip face severe medical risks as damaged hospitals struggle with acute shortages of incubators, oxygen supplies, and basic medical equipment amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to Hatem Dhahir, chef du service de néonatologie at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, facilities lack available incubators while a growing number of vulnerable newborns require critical respiratory support.
The Crisis in Gaza Neonatal Units
The health system across the Gaza Strip has experienced widespread destruction and damage since the outbreak of war following the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. Palestinian doctors and humanitarian organizations report that severe restrictions on goods entering the territory have driven shortages of specialized equipment and basic medical supplies. In contrast, Israeli authorities state that they do not block aid but filter items with potential civil and military “double usage” that Hamas could divert. The World Health Organization noted in May that such restrictions have affected laboratory tools, orthopedic supplies, and oxygen concentrators.
This medical bottleneck coincides with a sharp increase in premature births. Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicated in March that 70 percent of newborns arrived either premature or underweight. A UN commission of inquiry report published in June concluded that food shortages, medication gaps, and the collapse of local infrastructure caused significant spikes in miscarriages, stillbirths, low birth weights, and congenital malformations.
To cope with the influx of fragile patients, medical teams at Nasser Hospital routinely place two or three newborns inside a single incubator. While this practice aims to save lives, doctors warn it compromises care quality. Efforts to transfer infants to other facilities fail because regional hospitals remain completely full, according to Dr. Dhahir.
In late August, a female infant was born with transposed aorta and pulmonary arteries, a severe congenital heart defect preventing proper blood oxygenation. Mona Ahmad, a tutor accompanying the child, stated that Nasser Hospital kept the infant in neonatology for one week before discharging her due to a lack of space. The discharge report noted that the child required a transfer because the facility could not provide treatment, leaving caregivers without options.
Civil infrastructure damage, including compromised access to clean water and electricity, further elevates disease risks across the territory. To support neonatal departments, the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) supplied nearly 100 incubators across six hospitals starting in October 2023. Toby Fricker, Unicef representative for the Palestinian territories, stated after a mission to Gaza that operations survive primarily through the resilience of medical personnel and patients.
Despite these constraints, some families report successful outcomes following prolonged inpatient care. Thaer Harzallah recounted that his son, born with a blood cell disorder, spent a month in neonatology before recovering and leaving the hospital.
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