GAZA: Gaza’s oxygen supply is nearing collapse after 22 of the enclave’s 34 oxygen stations went out of service, leaving hospitals and patients receiving treatment at home increasingly vulnerable, the Palestinian Health Ministry warned on Saturday.
Only 12 oxygen stations remain operational, and those are working under “extremely complex technical and mechanical conditions,” the ministry said, as shortages of spare parts prevent engineers from carrying out essential repairs.
The warning comes amid severe shortage of equipment used to refill portable oxygen cylinders. Of 30 filling devices across Gaza, only four are still functioning. The ministry warned that those “could stop at any moment” because maintenance teams lack the parts and equipment required for emergency repairs.
“The availability of oxygen is not a medical luxury; it is a lifeline for many vital and life-saving departments,” the ministry said.
It warned that the remaining oxygen infrastructure faces “complete paralysis,” threatening supplies to hospitals and healthcare facilities as well as patients who rely on oxygen while receiving treatment at home.
It called for the immediate entry of spare parts and technical equipment needed to repair damaged stations, as well as the urgent delivery of new oxygen units.
Gaza’s health system has been operating under severe strain since the war with widespread damage to hospitals and infrastructure and continued restrictions on the entry of equipment needed to keep essential services functioning despite the Oct. 10 ceasefire.
On Wednesday, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that Israeli restrictions on engine oil and spare parts were threatening hospital generators, ambulances and water systems, putting thousands of lives at risk.
The medical charity said some of its facilities had barely enough engine oil to last a month, while replacement parts and new generators remained blocked from entering Gaza.
MSF said one of the generators at its field hospital in Deir Al-Balah broke down on Aug. 5, forcing staff to ration electricity and limit operating theatre use to the most critical cases while sterilization and X-ray services were disrupted.
The organization warned that generator failures would directly affect newborn babies in incubators, patients dependent on oxygen generators and people requiring lifesaving surgery.
Israeli strikes continue to damage Gaza’s already depleted health infrastructure under the ceasefire. On Aug. 1, an Israeli airstrike destroyed two medicine-storage warehouses near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah that Palestinian health officials said contained critical medical supplies, including materials used for dialysis.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said Kerem Shalom remains the only operational crossing for goods entering Gaza, while restrictions continue to affect essential supplies and equipment.