Palestinian infant dies from severe cold amid Gaza's winter crisis

An eight-month-old Palestinian baby has died from severe cold in southern Gaza, highlighting the lethal impact of winter conditions on displaced families. The infant, Rahaf Abu Jazar, died in Khan Younis as temperatures plummeted, with her family among hundreds of thousands sheltering in fragile tents.

Medical Warnings and Escalating Health Risks

Gaza's Health Ministry director, Munir al-Bursh, confirmed the death and warned of more fatalities among vulnerable groups. "Low temperatures are ravaging children, the elderly and the sick," he stated, describing cases of severe hypothermia and respiratory failure. He noted that the damp, stagnant conditions inside tents create an ideal environment for pneumonia and other infections, compounded by a critical shortage of medicine and medical care.

Widespread Flooding and Rescue Efforts

Heavy rainfall has flooded entire displacement camps across Gaza, including areas in Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, and Nuseirat. Gaza's Civil Defense reported receiving over 2,500 distress calls in 24 hours from families whose tents were submerged, describing scenes where "displaced citizens, with their children and women, are drowning now." Rescue teams evacuated dozens of completely flooded tents in Rafah, but the scale of the crisis is overwhelming.

Massive Shelter Deficit and Lingering War Damage

The disaster follows two years of war that destroyed Gaza's infrastructure, leaving a massive shelter gap. Officials estimate a need for roughly 300,000 tents and prefabricated units to meet basic needs. The United Nations places the cost of reconstruction at about $70 billion. The current ceasefire has halted fighting that killed over 70,000 Palestinians, but the humanitarian situation remains catastrophic, with winter exposing the extreme vulnerability of the displaced population.