The fragile ceasefire in Gaza has failed to stem a devastating child mortality crisis, with more than 100 children killed in the territory since hostilities formally slowed in October, according to UNICEF. A stark new dimension of the tragedy has emerged this winter, with at least eight infants and children, including a 27-day-old baby, having died from hypothermia in the freezing conditions.
Infants Succumb to Freezing Conditions
On a recent Saturday, a 27-day-old infant named Aisha Ayesh al-Agha died from the severe cold. Medical sources confirmed to the Anadolu news agency that by the time she was brought to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, it was tragically too late to save her. The Palestinian health ministry stated this death brought the number of children who have perished from hypothermia since the start of the current winter season to eight. In a separate incident this week, the ministry reported another one-year-old baby died of hypothermia overnight.
The perilous environment extends beyond the cold. Since the October ceasefire, at least 464 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,280 injured in ongoing Israeli attacks, demonstrating that while airstrikes have slowed, they have not ceased. Recent severe winter storms have compounded the catastrophe, causing walls to collapse onto flimsy tents in displacement camps, killing at least four people and flooding already overwhelmed settlements.
Systemic Collapse of Maternal and Newborn Care
The foundation of healthcare for mothers and babies has been utterly dismantled. A confluence of critical failures – acute fuel shortages, blocked medical supplies, mass displacement, and relentless bombardment – has rendered specialised care virtually non-existent. Mothers in Gaza are now forced into impossible choices, routinely sacrificing their own health and survival to secure the most basic needs for their children.
This systemic collapse is quantified in harrowing detail by recent reports from Physicians for Human Rights, in collaboration with the Global Human Rights Clinic and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. Their documentation covering January to June 2025 reveals a staggering toll:
- 2,600 miscarriages
- 220 pregnancy-related deaths
- 1,460 premature births
- Over 1,700 underweight newborns
- Over 2,500 infants requiring neonatal intensive care
A shocking indicator of the reproductive health crisis is the dramatic fall in recorded births. In the first months of 2025, there were 17,000 births, representing a 41% drop from the same period in 2022.
A Precarious Existence with No End in Sight
Life for Gaza's remaining population remains profoundly precarious. With formal healthcare infrastructure in ruins, relocation to overcrowded and exposed tent encampments has become the only option for countless families. James Elder, a UNICEF spokesperson, underscored the ongoing tragedy, confirming the death toll of over 100 children since the ceasefire began.
The situation presents a clear and urgent humanitarian emergency. The compounding factors of violence, a collapsed health system, extreme weather, and dire living conditions are creating a lethal environment for Gaza's most vulnerable civilians, with infants and children paying the highest price. The international community faces mounting calls to address the complete breakdown of essential services that is driving this catastrophic loss of young life.
