Gaza: Six Infants Freeze to Death as Israel Continues to Ban Shelter Entry

Gaza (Quds News Network)- Six Palestinian newborns have died in the past few hours due to the extreme cold in Gaza, as Israel continues to block shelter entry, worsening the harsh winter conditions and making life uninhabitable.

Dr. Saeed Salah, medical director of the Patients’ Friends Benevolent Society Hospital, said on Monday three infants died due to extreme cold and three other infants remain in critical condition.

“In the past two weeks, we admitted eight newborns suffering from severe cold injuries,” Salah said.

“Three of them died within hours of arrival. They were only a day or two old, weighing between 1.7 kg and 2 kg. Two have recovered, but three others are still in critical condition. Their survival is uncertain,” he added.

On Tuesday, Salah confirmed three more infants died from “severe cold.”

Palestinian infant Sham Yousef Al-Shambari, 60 days old, passed away this morning inside her family's tent due to the severe cold in the Mawasi area in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.

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Winter storms, strong winds, and heavy rain have deepened the suffering of displaced Palestinians. Thousands now live in makeshift tents after Israeli airstrikes destroyed their homes. Many returnees to northern Gaza found their homes uninhabitable.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that over 500,000 people have returned to the northern areas. “Food, water, and shelter remain critical needs,” OCHA stated.

However, aid deliveries remain insufficient.
The Gaza Government Media Office stated that Israel has been restricting aid. “Shelter is an urgent humanitarian necessity,” it said. “Israel is preventing the entry of mobile homes and emergency shelters, putting thousands at risk.”

Under the ceasefire agreement, 60,000 mobile houses and 200,000 tents as well as heavy machinery are supposed to enter the enclave.

UNICEF warned that children in Gaza face extreme danger from the cold. “It’s terrifying for them to be exposed to freezing temperatures,” UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram said. “We’ve already seen children die from hypothermia. Families lack warm clothes and many children have no shoes.”