ICU patients’ lives at risk in Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Hospital amid Israel’s war

The hospital may be forced in the coming hours to ration electricity so that certain wards can be prioritised.Published On 14 Feb 2026Israel’s more than two-year genocidal war has decimated Gaza‘s health system, as medical personnel and doctors struggle to treat patients with limited and damaged equipment, with a “ceasefire” doing nothing to ease the peril and suffering the ill face.According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 1,700 healthcare workers – including doctors, nurses and paramedics – have been killed since Israel’s war began. The United Nations has accused Israel of deliberately targeting Gaza’s health facilities and killing medical personnel to destroy the besieged enclave’s healthcare system.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Is genocide still happening in Gaza?list 2 of 3Why did Israel jail journalist who witnessed Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing?list 3 of 3After High Court victory, Palestine Action founder says UK ban ‘backfired’end of listAll medical facilities have been damaged or destroyedDoctors at Al-Aqsa Hospital, in central Gaza, have been appealing for urgent intervention, as both of the medical facility’s main generators no longer function.The situation is extremely dire, said Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Gaza City.“Generators are now seen as the heartbeat of every hospital here [in Gaza] … as they power ventilators, incubators, surgical theatres and dialysis machines.“But now these lifelines are breaking down,” said Abu Azzoum, with the lives of many critically ill patients in the intensive care unit hanging in the balance.The hospital lacks the fuel and essential spare parts needed to keep the generators going, Abu Azzoum added.“Without them [the generators], the healthcare system could easily collapse.”The hospital now only has “two small backup generators that medical teams describe to be completely unreliable to sustaining critical life-saving services and departments,” said Abu Azzoum. They may also shut down at any moment due to a lack of fuel and spare parts.