KHAN YUNIS — Newborns in southern Gaza hospitals are sharing incubators, a practice that significantly increases mortality risks for infants requiring specialized care. Two tiny babies lie side-by-side in a single incubator at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, a facility critically short of both space and essential medical supplies.
Hatem Dhahir, head of the neonatal department at Nasser hospital, described the situation as dire. He reported a complete lack of oxygen and no spare incubators within the hospital. Staff attempt to transfer infants to other medical centers, but these facilities are consistently at full capacity.
Many of the newborns require oxygen support and are severely underweight. The scarcity of specialized care units forces staff to place two or even three infants in each incubator. Nasser hospital has observed a significant rise in premature births in recent months, along with an increase in twins and triplets.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has severely damaged Gaza's healthcare infrastructure. Many medical facilities across the Palestinian territory are either completely or partially unusable, limiting the capacity for patient transfers and specialized treatment.
Medical supplies and specialist equipment are running low due to Israeli restrictions on goods entering the Gaza Strip. Israel maintains it is preventing the entry of items that could have military applications.
The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA reported in March that one in three pregnancies in Gaza were classified as high-risk. The agency found that 70 percent of newborns were either premature or underweight. Incubator sharing elevates the risk of infant mortality.
A UN-mandated inquiry published in June detailed the severe impact of shortages on maternal health, citing a lack of food, medical supplies and fuel coupled with the collapse of healthcare services. These factors have led to increased rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, low-birthweight infants and congenital defects, including a particular rise in heart conditions among congenital defects.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza has been displaced at least once during the war, which began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Large areas of the territory have been flattened, and hundreds of thousands of residents now live in tents and temporary shelters. The fighting shattered vital infrastructure throughout Gaza, including critical sanitation systems and access to safe drinking water.
