Six children die of hypothermia amid freezing conditions in Gaza

The Gaza Strip has recently experienced severe cold weather, and medical officials report that at least six Palestinian infants have tragically died from hypothermia. This tragedy highlights the dire humanitarian situation in the region, sparking widespread concern from the international community.

Dr. Saeed Salah, medical director of the "Al-Shifa Charity Hospital" in Gaza City, stated on Tuesday that three infants, only one to two days old, died shortly after being admitted to the hospital. Two more infants died on Tuesday morning, and a sixth death occurred in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis. The Gaza Civil Defense Agency also confirmed that the cold weather and lack of heating facilities over the past week led to the deaths of six newborns.

Dr. Salah revealed that his hospital's infant care unit recently received eight cases of severe hypothermia, all of which required intensive care. Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud reported from the medical facility: "Doctors confirmed that these newborns did not have any specific illnesses upon arrival at the hospital. They died simply because their families were unable to keep them warm after birth – a situation that has persisted in the past few days since the cold weather hit the region."

Hamas strongly condemned the deaths of these newborns, calling it the result of Israel's "criminal" policies. In a statement, Hamas also urged mediators and the international community to intervene and ensure that shelter and other basic humanitarian supplies enter the Gaza Strip. As of now, the Israeli military has not commented on the matter.

Meanwhile, although Israel has agreed to allow temporary housing into Gaza in accordance with the ceasefire agreement, it is in practice still preventing its entry. Thousands of mobile homes remain stranded at the Rafah crossing bordering Egypt, awaiting Israeli authorization to enter the besieged Palestinian territory. According to UN data, at least eight newborns died of hypothermia in Gaza in December alone, and another 74 children died "in harsh winter conditions."