A severe winter storm has exacerbated the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, claiming at least 17 Palestinian lives including four children who succumbed to hypothermia amid freezing temperatures. The youngest victim, one-month-old Saeed Asaeed Abdeen, died from severe hypothermia as Storm Byron swept through the territory with torrential rains and destructive floods.
Medical authorities at al-Shifa Medical Complex report critical shortages of medicines and supplies, with over half of vital medications completely unavailable. Director Muhammad Abu Salmiya warned that children face extreme vulnerability from the combined threats of ongoing Israeli bombardment, freezing conditions, and rapidly spreading diseases.
Gaza’s infrastructure collapse has turned winter weather into a lethal threat. According to Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal, over a dozen compromised buildings have collapsed since heavy rainfall began last week, with emergency teams responding to damage at more than 90 structures and fielding over 5,000 distress calls within a month.
The municipal government in Gaza City has raised alarms about a worsening waste management crisis, exacerbated by fuel shortages that have severely limited collection services. Approximately 90% of shelters across the territory have been submerged or swept away by floodwaters, leaving thousands of families without possessions or protection from the elements.
Visual evidence circulating online shows tents being blown away by high winds, completely flooded shelters and hospitals, and collapsed concrete walls crushing temporary accommodations. In one tragic incident in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, a wall collapse on a displacement tent resulted in multiple fatalities.
The crisis stems from what UN agencies and over 200 NGOs describe as Israel’s systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid. A joint statement condemned Israel’s ‘ongoing re-registration process and other arbitrary hindrances’ that have left millions of dollars worth of essential supplies stranded outside Gaza. The organizations emphasized that humanitarian access constitutes a legal obligation under international humanitarian law, particularly given Israel’s failure to ensure adequate supplies for the population.
According to the latest UNRWA situation report, Israeli authorities continue blocking the agency from directly delivering humanitarian personnel and aid into Gaza. The territory has endured over two years of restricted goods entry, with only limited supplies entering under intense diplomatic pressure despite the destruction of nearly 80% of structures.
The compounded crises have left Gaza’s population of over two million without reliable access to clean water, food, shelter, healthcare, clothing, or fuel. Rainwater accumulation combined with destroyed drainage and sewage systems creates additional environmental and health hazards for displaced Palestinians residing in inadequate temporary shelters.
Israeli military operations continue despite ceasefire discussions, with UNRWA reporting multiple installations struck recently, causing additional casualties. The overall death toll from the conflict now exceeds 70,669, including more than 20,000 children, with thousands more missing and presumed dead.