At least 21 displaced Palestinians, most of them children, have died from extreme cold in Gaza's displacement camps since the start of Israel's war on the enclave, local authorities said Sunday.
In a statement, Gaza's government media office said the deaths occurred among families living in makeshift shelters that offer little protection from harsh winter conditions, warning of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe as cold waves continue to hit the territory.
The toll includes 18 children, highlighting what the office described as the severe vulnerability of displaced families, particularly infants and young children forced to live in tents lacking heating, insulation and basic winter supplies.
The statement came a day after the death of a week-old infant, Mahmoud al-Aqraa, who succumbed to hypothermia after severe cold caused his body to tremble uncontrollably, his father, Adnan al-Aqraa, told Anadolu. The baby died at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza.
The media office said the latest cold-related deaths are a direct consequence of the widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, the continued Israeli blockade, and the forced displacement of more than 1.5 million Palestinians.
It warned that ongoing cold spells could further raise the death toll, especially among children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses, as winter weather intensifies in the coming days.
According to the statement, four people have died from cold-related causes since the start of the current winter season in December alone, amid a severe shortage of heating equipment, winter clothing, blankets and safe shelter.
Palestinian meteorological officials said a new low-pressure system began affecting Gaza on Friday, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and plunging temperatures, with wind speeds reaching up to 60 kilometers per hour in some areas.
Gaza's Civil Defense said the storm damaged or blew away thousands of displacement tents, adding that dozens of buildings already weakened by earlier Israeli bombardment collapsed during recent weather conditions, causing further casualties.
The government media office accused Israel of bearing full responsibility for the deaths, citing its continued failure to allow sufficient entry of shelter materials, heating supplies and reconstruction equipment, despite the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10.
Since the truce began, Israeli authorities have repeatedly failed to meet commitments to facilitate the entry of tents, mobile housing units and construction materials needed to repair water, sewage and electricity networks, according to official Palestinian data.
The media office urged the international community, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to take immediate action to provide safe shelters, heating supplies and unrestricted humanitarian aid to prevent further loss of life.
The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that left the Gaza Strip in ruins.
Despite a ceasefire that began last Oct. 10, the Israeli army has continued its attacks, killing 442 Palestinians and wounding 1,236 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
