Freezing cold kills newborn Palestinian in Gaza as shelter crisis deepens

By Ramzi Mahmud and Tarek Chouiref

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) – A Palestinian newborn died early Saturday after exposure to extreme cold in the Gaza Strip, as severe winter weather compounded the suffering of displaced families living in fragile tents with little protection from the elements.

The infant, Mahmoud al-Aqraa, was just seven days old when he died during a powerful storm that swept through the enclave, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, his father Adnan told Anadolu.

The family had been sheltering in a makeshift tent in Deir al-Balah, where freezing temperatures and violent gusts left residents struggling to keep warm through the night.

“He started shaking badly,” al-Aqraa said. “We tried everything we could, but there was no heat, no safe shelter, nothing to protect him from the cold.”

Emergency crews were unable to reach the family due to the weather, forcing the father to wrap the baby in a blanket and rush him to the nearest field hospital. Medical staff said the infant’s body temperature had dropped to dangerously low levels.

Despite attempts to stabilize and warm him, Mahmoud was later transferred to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where he died several hours later from hypothermia.

Inside the hospital morgue, his father said goodbye to his son, whose small body showed visible signs of cold exposure, including stiffness and discoloration.

Mahmoud’s older brother, Yusuf, stood nearby in tears. “He died from the cold,” the boy said softly. “We don’t have heaters. We only have a few blankets, and even those aren’t enough.”

- Exposed to fierce winds and the elements

Gaza’s Civil Defense said earlier Saturday that the ongoing storm had damaged or blown away thousands of tents for displaced families, particularly along the coastline, leaving them exposed as winds reached speeds of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour.

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal linked the crisis to Israel’s continued blocking of humanitarian and reconstruction aid from entering Gaza.

Basal said the crisis was not simply the result of harsh weather, but a consequence of continued restrictions on the entry of shelter materials and construction supplies.

“This is not a natural disaster,” he said. “It is a man-made humanitarian emergency.”

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 424 Palestinians and wounding 1,189 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.