A three-week-old baby has died due to the cold in the makeshift camps in Gaza, becoming the third victim in recent days, as reported by doctors. This tragic event highlights the extreme conditions in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live, forced to take refuge in flimsy tents after fleeing Israeli bombings and offensives.
The conflict has left over 45,000 dead in Gaza, with more than half of them being women and children, according to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health. This toll does not distinguish between combatants and civilians but reflects the magnitude of the humanitarian tragedy in the territory.
The offensive has devastated the strip, displacing 90% of its 2.3 million inhabitants, many of whom are forced to seek shelter in tent camps along the Mediterranean coast. With the arrival of winter, the cold and humidity worsen the already deplorable conditions. Humanitarian aid organizations have warned of the lack of food, blankets, warm clothing, and firewood, despite their efforts to deliver supplies.
Although Israel has increased the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, with an average of 130 trucks per day in December compared to the 70 recorded in previous months, the numbers remain insufficient. The UN denounces that it cannot distribute more than half of the supplies due to restrictions imposed by Israeli forces or looting within the territory.
The case of Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, the three-week-old baby who died from the cold, has shocked the population. Her father tried to keep her warm in a poorly insulated tent in the Muwasi area, near Jan Yunis, where nighttime temperatures dropped to nine degrees. "It was so cold that not even adults could bear it," Mahmoud al-Faseeh told the press. The baby woke up crying several times during the night, but in the morning, she was found lifeless, a victim of the freezing conditions.