Two rachitic infants—babies with weakened bones due to severe nutritional deficiencies—lie connected to medical monitors, sharing a single incubator at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younès, southern Gaza. Sometimes, three infants are forced to share the same incubator, which is designed for only one baby. In Gaza, a territory ravaged by Israeli airstrikes, being born means facing extreme challenges, especially for premature or sick infants. "The situation is catastrophic and continues to deteriorate," says Dr. Hatem Dhahir, head of the hospital’s neonatology department. He notes that the hospital lacks essential equipment like incubators and oxygen supplies, which are vital for the survival of fragile newborns. This crisis stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began after Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023. The war has destroyed or damaged many hospitals, and Israel’s restrictions on importing goods have left Gaza with a severe shortage of medical supplies and equipment. Doctors and NGOs report that the health system has largely collapsed. The situation has become even more dire with a sharp increase in preterm births in recent months. According to Dr. Dhahir, 70% of newborns in Gaza are born prematurely or with low birth weight, a statistic highlighted in a March report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A June report by a UN-mandated investigation committee also linked the worsening conditions in Gaza—such as food shortages, lack of medicines, and the collapse of the health system—to a rise in miscarriages, stillbirths, and congenital malformations. With so many fragile infants needing care, medical teams often take risky steps, placing two or even three babies in the same incubator to maximize the number of lives they can save. However, this practice compromises the quality of care and increases the risk of infection, as incubators are designed for a single infant. Despite these efforts, the situation remains dire. Nasser Hospital tries to transfer infants to other facilities, but those hospitals are also "always full," Dr. Dhahir says. Some of the most critical cases cannot be treated at all. For example, a girl born at the end of August with a rare cardiac malformation—where her aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed—was kept in the neonatology unit for a week before being discharged due to a lack of space. Her guardian, Mona Ahmad, said the hospital’s discharge report stated there was no treatment available at Nasser Hospital. She expressed confusion and distress, saying she did not understand why her daughter was removed from the incubator. Beyond the hospitals, the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure has worsened the crisis. Access to clean water and electricity is limited, increasing the risk of disease. To help, UNICEF has provided nearly 100 incubators to six hospitals since October 2023. However, Toby Fricker, a UNICEF communications officer, admits the situation is holding together "only thanks to the resilience of the doctors and patients." Despite the overwhelming challenges, some babies survive due to the determination and resourcefulness of medical staff. Thaer Harzallah, the father of a boy born with a red blood cell disorder, says his child spent a month in the neonatology unit and "went through a great ordeal." Today, his son is cured, and the family has been able to leave the hospital.