Between Israeli attacks and winter cold, helpless Gazans struggle to survive

Surviving relentless Israeli attacks for the past 15 months, displaced civilians are now struggling to stay alive amid freezing winter cold in the Gaza Strip. 'The humanitarian situation of the displaced is tragic,' Gaza Municipality spokesman Hosni Muhanna told Anadolu. Civilians have been under a brutal Israeli war since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 45,600 people, mostly women and children, and injuring over 108,400 others. A cold wave and torrential rains have even worsened conditions for the helpless civilians, leaving them struggling to live in their worn-out tents in displacement camps. According to local health authorities, at least seven people, including six babies, have frozen to death over the past week in Gaza. FLOODING 'The Israeli army destroyed about 175,000 linear meters of sewage networks and 15,000 linear meters of rainwater networks amid a blockade on fuel and electricity supplies,' he added. The Palestinian spokesman warned of possible flooding from the Sheikh Radwan rainwater collection site in northern Gaza City. URGENT APPEAL 'Gaza needs a real humanitarian stance. The crisis goes beyond temporary solutions and requires an urgent response that guarantees a decent life for the displaced and all residents,' Muhanna said. On Wednesday, Gaza's Civil Defense Service said that heavy rains inundated over 1,542 tents housing displaced civilians in the Gaza Strip in the past two days. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.