A harsh cold wave sweeping through the Gaza Strip has led to the deaths of at least six newborns, according to local health officials.
Dr. Saeed Saleh, a medical professional at the Patient’s Friends Benevolent Society Hospital, revealed that in the past two weeks, eight infants were admitted with severe cold-related conditions, and six of them did not survive.
The deaths highlight the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where many displaced families are struggling to survive in freezing temperatures.
With homes destroyed by ongoing conflict, thousands have been forced to take shelter in tents, makeshift structures, and bombed-out buildings that offer little to no protection from the bitter cold.
The lack of adequate heating has left newborns and young children especially vulnerable to hypothermia and other cold-related illnesses.
Dr. Saleh stressed the severity of the situation, stating that hospitals are overwhelmed with cases of infants suffering from hypothermia.
He urged for immediate intervention to provide proper heating and shelter, warning that without urgent action, more lives would be lost.
The civil defense agency in Gaza confirmed the infant deaths, attributing them to the extreme cold and inadequate living conditions.
Officials warned that deteriorating weather and a lack of resources have made it nearly impossible for displaced families to stay warm, putting newborns at the highest risk.
As the crisis worsens, health officials and humanitarian groups have intensified calls for urgent international aid.
They have emphasized the urgent need for mobile homes, temporary shelters, and fuel supplies to provide heating for the nearly 280,000 displaced families left without homes due to conflict and airstrikes.
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on January 19 after nearly 16 months of hostilities, was intended to facilitate the exchange of prisoners and hostages while allowing humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. However, both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement.
Hamas has blamed Israel for blocking the entry of crucial humanitarian supplies, including mobile homes, linking this obstruction to the recent infant deaths. The group has condemned what it describes as Israel’s “criminal policies” for exacerbating the humanitarian disaster.
