![Premature babies are being treated amid Israeli attacks at the Nasser Hospital as they are at risk due to a shortage of medicines, medical supplies and infant formula in Khan Yunis, Gaza on June 19, 2025. [Doaa Albaz - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/AA-20250620-38332242-38332231-PREMATURE_BABIES_STRUGGLE_FOR_LIFE_IN_GAZA_UNDER_ISRAELI_ATTACKS____.jpg?fit=920%2C690&ssl=1)
Dr Ahmad Al-Farra, director of paediatrics and maternity at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis warned Thursday that hundreds of babies are facing imminent death as the hospital has completely run out of baby formula due to the Israeli blockade.
“These babies have no time,” Dr Al-Farra said in a statement, explaining that Israel has prevented the entry of baby formula into Gaza for more than four months, including for hospitals and markets. He noted that international organisations are also included in the ban.
Dr Ahmad Al-Farra explained that the nursery department at Nasser Medical Complex currently houses approximately 25 children suffering from a severe shortage of formula (1) and (2), while premature babies lack the special milk needed to survive.
“We have reached square one, and we have called on all concerned parties to pressure the [Israeli] occupation to allow the entry of baby formula” he said and issued an urgent appeal, warning that premature babies and infants could lose their lives within 48 hours if the crisis is not addressed.
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On Wednesday evening, Nasser Hospital warned in an official statement of an impending humanitarian disaster where hundreds of premature babies and infants in incubators are threatened with death due to the interruption of their essential milk.
“These children have no time… and no voice. The Ministry of Health appeals to the world: Save their lives before it’s too late” the hospital said.
For its part, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has previously warned of the worsening malnutrition crisis in Gaza, noting that complementary foods for infants have completely run out in the central and southern areas of the Strip, with only enough ready-made infant formula left for a month for 400 children.
The organization confirmed that approximately 10,000 infants under the age of six months are in dire need of complementary feeding, warning that families may be forced to use unsafe alternatives mixed with contaminated water, posing a grave risk to children’s lives.
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