A six-month-old Palestinian infant has died from the cold in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli destruction and the blockade turn winter into a deadly season for children.
Youssef Abu Hammad died on Thursday in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, from extreme cold and dehydration caused by exposure to sewage pollution, according to doctors.
He was the only boy in the family, with six older sisters.
His father, Omar Abu Hammad, said Youssef was a blessing after “17 years of suffering and waiting” for a son.
The displaced family had been living near a sewage disposal site in Khan Younis. Omar said repeated appeals for baby milk and nappies over the past months went unanswered.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on
Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Another infant, three-month-old Ali Abo al-Zour, also died under similar conditions on Thursday.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, their deaths bring the number of children who have died from hypothermia since the start of the winter season to 10.
After nearly two years of bombing, Israeli forces have destroyed around 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure since October 2023, displacing most of the population into temporary, worn-out tents without adequate heating.
Israel has also maintained a strict siege, banning the entry of essential food, medicine, fuel, tents and other supplies.
In October, Israel and Hamas signed an agreement to end the war and ease restrictions on Gaza.
‘This is not a natural disaster, but a man-made humanitarian catastrophe’
– Munir al-Bursh, Palestinian health ministry director general
However, more than three months later, Israel has continued to violate the agreement, keeping crossings closed to travel and allowing only a minimal amount of aid to enter.
Tents, mobile homes and heating supplies remain banned.
Israeli destruction and the blockade have left Gaza “experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis,” according to Munir al-Bursh, director general of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
“Death in Gaza is no longer caused by bombardment alone. It now comes from cold, hunger, lack of shelter and the absence of medicine,” he told Al Jazeera Mubasher.
“This is not a natural disaster, but a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, the result of occupation, siege, war and international silence.”
On Saturday, an Israeli drone strike killed two children in northern Gaza, according to local media.
The ceasefire in October was intended to end a two-year genocide in Gaza, during which Israeli forces killed more than 71,000 Palestinians.
However, more than 481 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the agreement came into effect.
