Gaza newborns gasp for life, share oxygen masks amid collapsed system
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UNICEF warns that Gaza’s collapsing healthcare system is pushing newborns and mothers to the brink, as hospitals run out of incubators, oxygen, and essential supplies.
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A nurse carries the body of a 15-day-old premature infant, Sila Zidane, after she died at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, amid Israeli genocide and total blockade. (AP)
UNICEF has warned that newborn babies in Gaza are being forced to share oxygen masks as "Israel" continues to block the transfer of vital medical equipment. A UN children’s agency official said "Israel" has repeatedly denied permission to move incubators from an evacuated hospital in northern Gaza, intensifying the strain on already overcrowded hospitals further south.
Two years of Israeli aggression on Gaza worsened maternal stress and malnutrition, contributing to a surge in premature and underweight infants. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), these babies now represent roughly one in five newborns in Gaza.
An Israeli assault on Gaza City in northern Gaza over the past month has forced hospitals to close, further compounding the pressure on southern facilities.
'Infants are sharing oxygen masks and beds'
James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson, described the dire conditions at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, where mothers and babies are lining corridors. Premature infants are reportedly sharing oxygen masks and beds, while equipment remains stranded in the north.
“We've been trying to recover incubators from a hospital that was evacuated in the north, and we've had four missions denied simply to get those incubators,” Elder told Reuters, referring to supplies stuck at the damaged Al-Rantissi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City.
In one southern pediatric ward he visited, Elder said, “There were three babies and three mums on a single bed, one source of oxygen, and the mothers would rotate the oxygen 20 minutes to each child. This is the level of desperation mums have now got to.”
The UN humanitarian office reported that "Israel" has denied or impeded 45% of its 8,000 requested missions in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
UNICEF has urged the evacuation of ill and premature babies still in northern Gaza hospitals. While the WHO recently transferred three infants to southern hospitals, one tragically died before the mission could be completed. Currently, only 14 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are at least partially operational, according to WHO data.
Toll on Gaza’s children
UNICEF highlighted the catastrophic impact of two years of Israeli war on Gaza’s children. “For more than 700 days, children in Gaza have been killed, maimed, and displaced in a devastating war that is an affront to our shared humanity. Israeli strikes on Gaza City and other parts of the Gaza Strip continue. The world cannot, and must not, allow this to go on,” the agency stressed.
Israeli strikes on Gaza City and other parts of the Gaza Strip continue.
— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) October 8, 2025
For more than 700 days, children in Gaza have been killed, maimed, and displaced in a devastating war that is an affront to our shared humanity.
This war must end now. Read more: https://t.co/7qItkloAtN pic.twitter.com/I1pearGZXn
In total, at least 64,000 children have reportedly been killed or maimed, including more than 1,000 infants. The number of deaths from preventable illnesses or from rubble-related injuries remains unknown.
Famine is spreading from Gaza City to the south, leaving children in critical condition. Malnutrition, particularly among infants, has caused long-lasting developmental harm.
Calls for a ceasefire, protection of Palestinians
UNICEF stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire. “Since Saturday morning, at least 14 children have reportedly been killed, as intense bombing and shelling by Israel continue to hit Gaza City and other areas,” the agency said.
UNICEF welcomed efforts to end the war and pursue peace, emphasizing that any plan must include a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the safe, rapid, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid at scale, especially to children.
“International humanitarian law is clear: we call on Israel to ensure the full protection of the lives of all civilians. Denying humanitarian assistance to civilians is unequivocally prohibited,” UNICEF said. The agency stressed adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, noting that civilians who cannot evacuate or choose not to must always be protected.
“Every child killed is an irreplaceable loss. For the sake of all children in Gaza, this war must end now.”
