Cold Kills Another Palestinian Baby in Gaza

A Palestinian infant has died in Gaza after being exposed to extreme cold, as shortages of proper shelter continue across the besieged territory, according to the health ministry.

Officials said yesterday that two-month-old Arkan Firas Musleh succumbed to severe weather conditions. His death raises the number of infants who have died from cold exposure to three since early December.

The Gaza Civil Defence reported that at least 25 people, including six children, have lost their lives due to freezing temperatures and the collapse of already damaged structures during recent storms.

Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said 18 buildings weakened by earlier airstrikes have completely collapsed, while more than 110 others have partially given way under the pressure of the current low-pressure system. Thousands of displaced people sheltering in these unsafe structures remain at serious risk.

Basal added that nearly 90 percent of tents used by displaced families were either blown away or flooded by heavy rain and strong winds, leaving thousands without shelter or adequate clothing to protect them from the cold.

He urged immediate action to begin Gaza’s reconstruction and called for the provision of mobile housing units to safeguard lives and uphold human dignity.

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed more than 71,200 people—mostly women and children—and injured over 171,200 others, devastating much of the enclave.

Although a ceasefire took effect on October 10, border crossings remain largely closed, with restrictions on the entry of mobile homes and reconstruction materials. This has further intensified the humanitarian crisis facing Gaza’s nearly 2.4 million residents.