The United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) has accused Israel of denying permission to transfer incubators from an evacuated hospital in northern Gaza, worsening conditions for newborns in overcrowded hospitals in the south.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described harrowing scenes at Nasser Hospital, where premature babies are reportedly sharing oxygen masks and beds due to a lack of medical equipment.
Israel, however, rejected the allegations, saying it has allowed the movement of medical supplies from the north to the south of the enclave.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, now in its second year, has led to widespread malnutrition and stress among pregnant women, with the World Health Organization reporting that one in five newborns in Gaza is premature or underweight.
Recent Israeli assaults on Gaza City have forced hospitals to shut down, intensifying the humanitarian crisis and straining the already overwhelmed southern medical facilities.
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