Oxygen crisis at Gaza's Nasser Hospital threatens 'death sentence' for hundreds of patients

Inside the corridors of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, doctors and nurses anxiously monitor oxygen levels and ventilators as a worsening crisis threatens to cut oxygen supplies to one of Gaza's largest functioning hospitals. In the neonatal unit, premature babies lie in glass incubators connected to oxygen tubes, while their mothers watch in fear. In intensive care units, patients depend on ventilators as alarms repeatedly sound because of low oxygen pressure.

Oxygen stations failing

Nasser Medical Complex has two oxygen-generating stations. "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," Ismail Abu Nimr, director of engineering and maintenance, told Anadolu. Dozens of empty oxygen cylinders line up in the hospital courtyard, waiting to be refilled.

'Slow suffocation'

Ahmad al-Farra, director of the Children and Maternity Department, said the hospital is experiencing "slow suffocation," warning that the continued oxygen crisis threatens the lives of hundreds of patients, especially premature babies and intensive care patients. "Oxygen is the lifeline inside hospitals. These patients depend on it completely," he said, warning that a shutdown would mean "a real catastrophe and a death sentence for hundreds of patients."

25 stations destroyed

Israel destroyed about 25 of Gaza's 34 oxygen production stations during two years of war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The stations were destroyed during Israeli army incursions into hospitals as part of ground operations. The ministry said in May 2025 that only about nine stations remained operational, working only partially.

Ceasefire violations

The oxygen crisis is worsening as Israel fails to meet its obligations under the ceasefire agreement in effect since Oct. 10, 2025, including opening crossings and allowing in agreed quantities of medical aid. Israel has also violated the agreement through shelling and gunfire, killing 854 Palestinians and wounding 2,453 others.