A severe winter storm has plunged the Gaza Strip into a deepening humanitarian crisis, claiming at least six lives within a 24-hour period as freezing temperatures and structural collapses threaten the besieged population. According to the Palestinian health ministry, a one-year-old infant succumbed to exposure, raising the winter death toll for children to seven. Simultaneously, Gaza’s civil defense reported the death of a young man crushed by collapsing sections of al-Saraya Mosque in Gaza City—the fifth such fatality from infrastructure failures in a single day.
The cumulative impact of seasonal storms and flooding has resulted in at least 24 fatalities this winter, exacerbating the vulnerability of over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians. The territory’s infrastructure, already decimated by more than two years of sustained Israeli bombardment, now poses lethal risks to inhabitants. Despite a ceasefire agreement signed in October, an analysis by The New York Times indicates that Israel has demolished over 2,500 buildings since the truce took effect.
Civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal accused Israeli authorities of restricting the entry of essential shelter materials, caravans, and construction supplies, intensifying the effects of the natural disaster. Basal warned of an approaching polar storm that would bring ‘catastrophic’ conditions and ‘preventable deaths.’ The Government Media Office in Gaza reported that more than 7,000 tents were swept away by strong winds and heavy rain in just 48 hours, describing the situation as ‘Gaza dying slowly.’
Health officials highlighted the rapid spread of respiratory diseases, hypothermia, and worsening malnutrition. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Medical Complex, reported the emergence of mutated respiratory viruses, with more than five children and ten elderly individuals recently dying from respiratory complications. Salmiya attributed the deteriorating health conditions to the combined impact of Israel’s military operations and epidemic spread among displaced populations.
The World Health Organization noted that over 18,500 individuals, including 4,000 children, require urgent medical evacuation. Muneer al-Boursh, Director General of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, characterized the situation as the ‘engineering of slow death,’ emphasizing that much of the permitted aid consists of non-nutritional items while medicines, vitamins, and infant formula are systematically denied entry. Israeli forces continue to violate the ceasefire agreement by restricting aid flow and blocking most medical evacuation requests, alongside ongoing bombardment that has resulted in over 71,424 Palestinian fatalities, predominantly civilians, according to Israeli military data.