Hospitals across Gaza are confronting an acute shortage of medical oxygen after many local production stations were damaged and the remaining units are operating under strain, Gaza health officials and hospital engineers say. Staff at major hospitals warn the situation threatens premature babies in incubators, intensive care patients on ventilators and surgical services.
- Gaza hospitals face critical shortages of medical oxygen after many local production stations were damaged and remaining units are strained.
- Nasser Medical Complex reported its main oxygen generator failed due to worn parts and lack of operating oil; backup unit is at limited capacity.
- Gaza’s Health Ministry says about 25 of 34 oxygen stations were destroyed, leaving roughly nine partially functioning units.
- Import restrictions on spare parts and supplies, and unfulfilled ceasefire provisions on crossings, are cited as factors worsening the crisis.
What officials and hospital staff say
Engineering teams at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis told Anadolu and other outlets that the hospital’s main oxygen generation unit recently stopped working because of worn parts and a lack of operating oils, while a backup unit is running only at limited capacity and could fail at any time. Dozens of empty cylinders were reported lined up awaiting refilling.
The Gaza Health Ministry has repeatedly warned that restrictions on entry of medical supplies — including spare parts and oils needed to maintain oxygen plants — have “catastrophic consequences” for health services. The ministry has also warned that a main oxygen plant serving Gaza City and northern Gaza has experienced repeated malfunctions because of heavy pressure and long operating hours.
Scale of damage reported
Gaza’s Health Ministry has said that roughly 25 of the territory’s 34 oxygen production stations were destroyed during Israeli operations over two years of conflict, leaving about nine stations reportedly still operational but functioning only partially. The ministry and hospital engineers say the remaining stations are under heavy strain and do not meet current patient needs.
Immediate risks to patients
Hospital directors and neonatal specialists describe the oxygen supply as a literal lifeline: incubators for premature infants, intensive care ventilators and operating rooms all depend on a steady flow. Hospital staff warned that a shutdown of oxygen generation would be a “real catastrophe” for hundreds of patients and described the situation inside neonatal and intensive care wards as close to “slow suffocation.”
Context and recent developments
Hospital engineers blamed the breakdowns on worn parts and exhausted operating oils. They said long-term difficulties importing replacement parts and specified materials have forced them to rely on local substitutes that can damage equipment and cause additional malfunctions.
Officials additionally say the ceasefire agreement in place since October 10, 2025 included provisions to open crossings and permit agreed quantities of medical aid and related supplies; hospital sources and Gaza’s Health Ministry report those obligations have not been met in full, and that continuing restrictions and occasional hostilities have compounded the logistics problems for health facilities.
Timeline (as reported)
- Over the course of two years of fighting, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports about 25 of 34 oxygen production stations were destroyed during Israeli operations.
- By May 2025 the ministry said only about nine stations remained in operation, all running partially and under heavy pressure.
- Since the October 10, 2025 ceasefire, Gaza officials report agreed openings of crossings and deliveries of health-related supplies have not been fulfilled, leaving hospitals struggling to obtain spare parts and operating materials.
- In recent weeks, staff at Nasser Medical Complex reported the main in-hospital oxygen station stopped after parts wore out and oils ran out; the backup plant is working at reduced capacity.
What is unresolved or disputed
Claims about the number of destroyed oxygen stations and the causes of the damage come from Gaza’s Health Ministry and hospital sources; independent verification of the exact figures and the circumstances of each destruction event is not provided in the reporting cited here. Israeli authorities’ statements on these specific allegations were not included in the sources supplied.
Practical implications and needs
- Hospitals require immediate resupply of spare parts, operating oils and functional oxygen generation units to avoid interruptions to critical care.
- Field hospitals and other health facilities that depend on cylinder refills face increasing pressure as generators fail.
- International organisations and logistics operators may need to prioritise deliveries of specified spare parts and oxygen-generation equipment, and to confirm access through crossings cited in ceasefire arrangements.
Comparison and regional relevance
Unlike settings where oxygen can be procured reliably via supply chains and large industrial producers, Gaza relied on a relatively small network of local oxygen plants that medical facilities and clinics used to refill cylinders and feed hospital systems. Destruction of those stations and limits on imports have therefore produced more acute local shortages than would be expected in better-connected health systems.
Key quotes from reporting
“The main station recently went out of service because of technical failures and a lack of operating oils, while the backup station is working at limited capacity and could stop at any time.”
“Oxygen is the lifeline inside hospitals, especially for babies in incubators, intensive care patients and operating rooms.”
What to watch next
Monitor statements from Gaza’s Health Ministry for updates on the operational status of oxygen plants, and any public releases from international agencies about deliveries of oxygen-generation equipment or spare parts. Also watch for communications from Israeli authorities or ceasefire monitors concerning access through crossings and fulfilment of agreed medical deliveries.
Sources and attribution
This article is based on reporting in Anadolu and regional outlets as cited by Gaza’s Health Ministry and hospital engineering staff; specific claims about numbers of destroyed stations and operational details were attributed to Gaza health officials and engineers in that reporting. The article notes where independent verification was not available in the supplied sources.