Newborn baby freezes to death in Gaza Strip

A newborn baby died of severe cold in the Gaza Strip amid bad weather conditions in the war-ravaged enclave, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

A ministry statement said two-week-old Muhammad Khalil Abu al-Khair breathed his last on Monday due to hypothermia amid freezing cold.

Khair was hospitalized in the intensive care unit since Sunday, the ministry said.

At least 14 people lost their lives in a winter storm in Gaza last week. Over 53,000 displacement tents were partially or fully flooded, swept away by torrents, or torn apart by strong winds, and 13 buildings collapsed across Gaza.

Israel continues to block the entry of shelter materials such as tents and mobile homes, reneging on its obligations under a ceasefire agreement that entered into force on Oct. 10.

Israel has killed nearly 70,700 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 in Gaza since October 2023 and reduced the enclave to rubble.