Three Palestinian infants tragically died from hypothermia in the al-Mawasi refugee camp in southern Gaza as freezing temperatures and a lack of essential winter supplies exacerbate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. This follows Israel’s blockade, which has severely restricted the delivery of food, water, and necessary aid to the besieged region.
Ahmed al-Farra, head of the children’s ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed the death of three-week-old Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh on Wednesday. He added that two other babies, aged three days and one month, had been brought to the hospital in the previous 48 hours after succumbing to the extreme cold.
“Sila was born healthy, but the bitter cold in the tents caused a dangerous drop in her body temperature, which eventually led to her death,” al-Farra told Al Jazeera.
Sila’s father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, shared the heartbreaking conditions his family endured in their makeshift tent at al-Mawasi, located near Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. Designated a “safe zone,” this area has been repeatedly attacked over the past 14 months of Israel’s offensive.
“We sleep on cold sand with inadequate blankets, and the wind chills us to the bone,” he said. “Our tent cannot block the wind, and the ground is freezing. We prayed for warmth, but only God knows the depth of our suffering.”
On Tuesday night, temperatures in the camp dropped to 9°C (48°F). Sila woke up crying multiple times, but by morning, her parents discovered her lifeless body, rigid from the cold. Despite Mahmoud’s desperate rush to Nasser Hospital, the doctors could not save her.
Dr. Munir al-Bursh, director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, confirmed Sila’s death was caused by the harsh cold and noted that the site had been labeled a “temporary safe humanitarian zone for displaced persons” by Israeli authorities.
The crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. Over 45,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed during Israel’s bombardments and ground invasions. With more than 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents displaced, many are forced to live in overcrowded tent camps along the coast as the wet, cold winter intensifies.
Humanitarian organizations have struggled to deliver aid, citing severe shortages of blankets, warm clothing, and firewood. The blockade has compounded these challenges, leaving hundreds of thousands without adequate shelter from the freezing weather.
“This tragic loss is a devastating example of the unjust impact of the war on Gaza’s people,” said al-Farra.
Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, further amplifying calls for urgent international intervention.
