The lives of at least 120 newborn babies in incubators in war-torn Gaza’s hospitals are at risk as fuel runs out in the besieged enclave, the UN children’s agency has said.

“We have currently 120 neonates who are in incubators, out of which we have 70 neonates with mechanical ventilation, and of course, this is where we are extremely concerned,” Unicef spokesman Jonathan Crickx told AFP.

“If they (babies) are put in mechanical ventilation incubators, by definition, if you cut the electricity, we are worried about their lives,” he said.

Gaza’s health ministry said a day earlier that 130 premature babies were in danger of dying due to the lack of fuel. Around 160 women give birth each day in Gaza, according to the UN Population Fund, which estimates there are 50,000 pregnant women across the territory of 2.4 million people.