Gaza's newborns at risk as 'Israel' blocks baby formula, supplies
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Healthcare facilities in Gaza have repeatedly issued urgent warnings about an impending health catastrophe.
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Medics prepare premature babies for transport to Egypt after they were evacuated from Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, on November 20, 2023 (AP)
Dozens of newborns in the Gaza Strip are at immediate risk due to "Israel’s" continued ban on essential medical supplies, including baby formula, pediatrician and obstetrician Dr. Asaad al-Nawajaa warned on Monday.
Most of these infants are receiving care at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where medical staff face critical shortages of incubators and vital supplies. This shortage poses a direct threat to the lives of newborns and further deepens the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Dr. al-Nawajaa emphasized that "Israel’s" restrictions on the entry of food and medical aid, particularly infant formula, have had devastating effects on babies under six months old, who rely entirely on formula for survival. The lack of access to this essential nutrition increases their vulnerability to diseases such as gastroenteritis and respiratory infections.
He urged the immediate delivery of infant formula to hospitals across Gaza to prevent further loss of life.
Compounding crisis
Healthcare facilities in Gaza have repeatedly issued urgent warnings about an impending health catastrophe, citing the complete depletion of all types of milk. Al-Rantisi Hospital, for instance, has run out of infant formula entirely, even as it continues to receive dozens of children daily suffering from malnutrition and digestive disorders.
The crisis is compounded by widespread maternal malnutrition, which has left many mothers unable to breastfeed. According to official data, at least 60 child deaths have already been recorded due to hunger and malnutrition across various age groups.
Gaza children targeted: 17,121 killed amid relentless strikes
Grief hangs heavy over Gaza as the death toll continues to rise and devastation mounts.
Among the victims are the most innocent: 17,121 children, ranging in age from 17 years to newborns who were martyred before living even a full day, as of June 15, 2025, according to Gaza's Government Media Office.
Mothers, too, are falling in horrific numbers. A total of 9,126 women have been killed since the start of the aggression, many of them while shielding their children or seeking refuge in makeshift shelters that have become death traps, according to the office.
