A Palestinian newborn has died from extreme cold in the Gaza Strip, according to local health officials, amid continued Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory during harsh winter conditions.
The Gaza-based Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday that the infant, two-week-old Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair, passed away on Monday after being treated for severe hypothermia caused by freezing temperatures.
International media reports say the child’s death highlights the collapse of basic living conditions in Gaza, where protections for civilians have been systematically destroyed during Israel’s ongoing war.
Many families are forced to live in makeshift tents set up on wet ground, without access to heating, electricity, adequate clothing, or sufficient food and fuel. Restrictions on aid have made cold weather especially deadly.
More than 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed during nearly two years of conflict, displacing hundreds of thousands of people into overcrowded shelters or fragile tents.
The situation has worsened following a powerful storm that recently struck the enclave, killing at least 11 people. Heavy rain and strong winds flooded tents and caused already-damaged structures to collapse.
Humanitarian organizations continue to call on Israel to allow unrestricted access for aid deliveries to Gaza to prevent further loss of life.
