Cold, Blockade Claim Lives of Dozens in Gaza as “Israeli” Siege Deepens Humanitarian Crisis

By Staff, Agencies

Nearly two dozen Palestinians, most of them children, have died in the Gaza Strip after being exposed to severe winter conditions, as displaced families continue to suffer under the impact of a prolonged “Israeli” war and blockade.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said 21 people, including 18 children, have died across the territory after freezing temperatures swept through areas where families are sheltering in flimsy and makeshift tents.

The office said the deaths highlight the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where harsh weather, widespread destruction, and strict “Israeli” restrictions on the entry of basic necessities have made daily survival increasingly difficult.

In a statement, the media office held “Israeli” authorities fully responsible for the deaths and their consequences, saying they fall within a policy of deliberate starvation and forced displacement imposed on Palestinians in Gaza. It warned that repeated building collapses and the lack of shelter have further exposed civilians to life-threatening conditions.

The office called on the international community, the United Nations, and humanitarian and legal organizations to take urgent action, including providing safe shelter centers and heating equipment for displaced families.

Civil defense and ambulance services said the cold has had a particularly devastating impact on children, the elderly, and the sick. They reported cases of severe shivering, dangerous loss of body heat, aggravated respiratory illnesses, and an increasing risk of further deaths if conditions do not improve.

Meanwhile, the “Israeli” organization “B’Tselem” said the international community is abandoning Gaza’s population as “Israel” continues its attacks despite a ceasefire that has been in place for three months.

“World leaders and the international community continue to abdicate their responsibility, abandoning the people of Gaza and enabling ‘Israel’ to continue its destructive campaign unabated behind the smokescreen of a ‘ceasefire’,” “B’Tselem” said in a post on X.

The group said most Palestinians in Gaza are facing acute shortages of shelter and essential supplies, including food, water and medicine. It also noted that “Israel” continues to restrict access for medical teams, humanitarian workers, and foreign journalists, even after the ceasefire took effect, limiting vital care and preventing documentation of conditions on the ground.

Since the ceasefire began on October 10, the “Israeli” army has repeatedly violated the agreement, martyring hundreds of Palestinians and injuring more than 1,100 others.

Overall, “Israeli” attacks on Gaza since October 2023 have martyred more than 71,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded over 172,000, with the assault continuing despite the declared truce.