Gaza infant becomes latest victim of severe winter conditions

GAZA (MNTV) — A one-month-old Palestinian child has died from exposure to freezing temperatures in the Gaza Strip, health officials announced Thursday, marking the latest fatality in a deadly cold snap affecting the war-ravaged territory.

The Health Ministry identified the victim as Saeed Asaad Abideen, stating in a release that the infant succumbed to hypothermia caused by plummeting temperatures.

The death raises to 13 the toll of people who have perished after seeking medical treatment for complications related to the ongoing cold wave and harsh weather conditions sweeping Gaza.

Gaza’s Civil Defense issued an alert Wednesday that the bitter cold poses a lethal threat to children, noting that countless families remain without proper housing or heat sources as humanitarian conditions deteriorate following Israel’s genocide in the enclave.

Massive numbers of internally displaced Palestinians are enduring severe hardship after their residences were demolished and they were forced from their communities.

Numerous families are taking refuge in canvas shelters or improvised dwellings, confronting critical shortages of warm bedding, fuel for heating and winter garments as temperatures continue to fall.

Officials from Palestinian media office in Gaza have persistently criticized Israel for not fulfilling its commitments under the October 10 truce agreement and its humanitarian provisions, particularly regarding the admission of construction materials for shelters and the provision of 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units for displaced households.

Israeli genocide resulted in approximately 70,700 Palestinian deaths, predominantly women and children, along with more than 171,100 injuries in Gaza between October 2023 and the implementation of the ceasefire that became effective on October 10.