Gaza babies share incubators as hospitals run short

Premature and underweight babies in Gaza are sharing incubators as hospitals run short of space, oxygen and specialist equipment, doctors and UN agencies say.

At Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, Hatem Dhahir, head of the neonatal department, said there was no oxygen available for some babies and no spare incubators. He said staff were trying to transfer patients to other hospitals, but those facilities were also full.

Dhahir said Nasser hospital had seen a significant rise in premature births in recent months, as well as more twins and triplets. He said the influx was forcing staff to place two or even three babies in each incubator.

In March, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said one in three pregnancies in Gaza were high-risk and that 70 percent of newborns were premature or underweight. It said incubator sharing significantly increased mortality risks.

Gaza's healthcare system has been devastated by the war between Israel and Hamas, with many medical facilities completely or partly unusable. Israeli restrictions on goods entering Gaza have also left medical supplies and specialist equipment in short supply. Israel says it is blocking items that could have military use and accuses Hamas of planning further violence.

A UN-mandated inquiry published in June said shortages of food, medical supplies and fuel, along with the collapse of healthcare services, had a severe impact on maternal health. It said rates of miscarriage, stillbirth, low-birthweight infants and congenital defects had increased.

UNICEF has expanded deliveries of neonatal equipment, including incubators, ventilators and monitors. The agency has supplied 93 incubators to six facilities across Gaza, including work that began before the US-backed ceasefire declared in October 2025.

Toby Fricker, UNICEF Palestine's chief of advocacy and communications, said the challenges remained immense and more support was needed.