Severe winter weather has claimed the lives of at least five Palestinians in Gaza, including a young child, as strong winds caused walls to collapse onto the flimsy tents housing thousands of displaced families. The deaths underscore the desperate and dangerous living conditions persisting despite a ceasefire.
Deaths and Destruction in the Storm
On Tuesday, officials at Gaza City's largest medical facility, Shifa hospital, confirmed receiving the bodies of four people killed when high winds caused walls to topple onto their tents. The dead included two women, a man, and a 15-year-old girl. In a separate incident, the Gaza health ministry reported that a one-year-old boy died of hypothermia overnight as temperatures plummeted.
One tragic incident involved three members of the same family. Mohamed Hamouda, 72, his granddaughter, and his daughter-in-law were killed when an eight-metre high wall collapsed onto their tent in a coastal area of Gaza City. At least five others were injured in the same collapse.
"The world has allowed us to witness death in all its forms," said Bassel Hamouda after the family funeral. "It’s true the bombing may have temporarily stopped, but we have witnessed every conceivable cause of death in the world in the Gaza Strip."
A Ceasefire Without Safety
While a truce has been in effect since October, humanitarian organisations warn that it has not translated into safety or adequate living conditions for Gaza's population. The majority of Palestinians reside in makeshift tents, their homes destroyed during the ongoing conflict, and aid groups state that insufficient shelter materials are entering the territory.
James Elder, spokesperson for UNICEF, stated on Tuesday that at least 100 children under 18 have been killed since the ceasefire began due to ongoing military operations, including drone strikes and tank shelling. He emphasised that while "bombings and shootings have slowed," what is now called calm "would be considered a crisis anywhere else."
The Gaza health ministry, which maintains casualty records considered reliable by UN agencies, says more than 440 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce started. The ministry's overall toll for the war exceeds 71,400 Palestinian fatalities.
An Overwhelming Humanitarian Challenge
Gaza's population of over two million is now facing its third winter since the war began on 7 October 2023. They are struggling against the cold with a critical lack of substantial temporary housing and shortages of vital aid. The UN and its partners are distributing tents, tarpaulins, blankets, and clothing, but the need vastly outstrips the supply.
The situation highlights a grim reality: even in the absence of active, large-scale bombardment, the people of Gaza remain in a profound state of emergency, vulnerable to the elements and a crippled infrastructure. The international call for increased and sustained humanitarian access grows ever more urgent as winter tightens its grip.
