The Palestinian health ministry said on Saturday that 39 babies are at risk of death in Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital after electricity was cut off and amid a lack of oxygen and medicine.

The ministry sent out a statement correcting remarks made by Health Minister Mai al-Kaila in a televised press conference in which she said "39 infants died in the modern care for children department because they couldn't get oxygen or medicine to them and electricity was cut off."

The ministry statement added that one baby had died, echoing a comment to Reuters by its spokesperson in Gaza, Ashraf Al-Qidra.