The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported a worsening oxygen crisis in Gaza, with only 12 out of 34 oxygen production stations currently operational. The remaining 22 stations have shut down due to repeated mechanical and technical failures.
In addition, only four of the 30 machines used to fill oxygen cylinders are functioning. The ministry highlighted that the operational stations are running at full capacity but still cannot satisfy the increasing demand from hospitals and healthcare facilities across the Gaza Strip.
Mazen Al-Araishi, the ministry’s Director General of Engineering and Maintenance, warned that the oxygen supply system is deteriorating dangerously, threatening to cut off essential life-saving support in hospitals and homes.
The ministry explained that repairs are hindered by a lack of spare parts and equipment, which are currently unavailable due to ongoing restrictions at border crossings. This shortage leaves the filling machines and oxygen stations at risk of complete failure at any moment.
In response, the ministry has called on Israel to open crossings into Gaza to allow entry of critical spare parts, technical equipment, and other medical supplies necessary to maintain oxygen production and healthcare services.
This plea follows warnings from medical aid organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which have emphasized that the blockade and withholding of essential supplies such as engine oil and spare parts are severely impacting hospital operations, including generators, ambulances, and water systems.
MSF described these restrictions as part of a broader strategy of structural violence that limits access to vital humanitarian resources, urging for an immediate and sustained lifting of the blockade to facilitate uninterrupted delivery of medical and commercial supplies to Gaza.
