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Oxygen stations near collapse
The Palestinian Health Ministry warned on Saturday that 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.
“22 of the enclave’s 34 oxygen stations went out of service”
The ministry said only 12 oxygen stations remain operational and that they are working under “extremely complex technical and mechanical conditions,” while shortages of spare parts prevent engineers from carrying out essential repairs.
It added that of 30 filling devices across Gaza, only four are still functioning, and those “could stop at any moment” because maintenance teams lack the parts and equipment required for emergency repairs.
The ministry 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, and the urgent delivery of new oxygen units.
Engineering limits and warnings
In a statement on Facebook, Mazen Al-Araishi, the ministry’s Director General of Engineering and Maintenance, said the oxygen supply system is experiencing a “dangerous deterioration that threatens to cut off vital and life-saving arteries in hospitals and homes.”
He said the problems extend to machines used to fill oxygen cylinders, with only four of the 30 machines currently working, and that the remaining machines cannot be repaired because engineers lack the spare parts and equipment needed to carry out urgent maintenance.
Mazen warned that the remaining machines “are at risk of stopping at any moment due to the engineering team's inability to complete emergency maintenance interventions due to lack of capabilities and equipment,” adding that the crisis could disrupt oxygen supplies to hospitals and patients who depend on oxygen at home.
The ministry subsequently called for Israel to allow the crossings into Gaza to open so that spare parts, technical equipment and other urgent supplies for oxygen stations can enter the territory.
The warning came just days after Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said restrictions on the entry of engine oil and spare parts were putting essential services in Gaza at risk.
Health system stakes
The Palestinian Health Ministry warned that the oxygen crisis threatens life-support for intensive care patients and newborns in incubators, while also endangering individuals with severe chronic conditions.
“face "complete paralysis" due to ongoing restrictions”
It said the remaining oxygen production stations face “complete paralysis” due to ongoing restrictions on the entry of medical aid, fuel, and vital components, and that the critical shortage threatens to completely halt oxygen supplies to remaining hospitals and home-care patients dependent on respiratory support.
The article also said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that Kerem Shalom remains the only operational entry point for goods into Gaza.
It further reported that Doctors Without Borders (MSF) confirmed that severe restrictions on engine oils and spare parts are systematically disabling hospital generators, ambulance fleets, and water purification trucks.
Against that backdrop, the ministry urged the opening of direct humanitarian channels to facilitate the entry of new oxygen generation plants, fuel, and the mechanical parts necessary to keep life-saving systems running.
