Six-month-old boy freezes to death in Gaza amid Israel's inhumane blockade

Another Palestinian infant has died due to extreme cold in the southern Gaza Strip, as displaced families continue to suffer harsh winter conditions combined with the ongoing impacts of a two-year Israeli genocidal war.

Youssef Omar Abu Hammala, a six-month-old baby boy, died as a result of extreme cold in his family's displacement tent in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis on Friday. 

With the death of Abu Hammala, the number of children who have died in the besieged Palestinian strip from extreme cold since the beginning of the season has risen to eleven. 

Several Palestinians, most of them children, have been killed in Gaza due to severe cold, as displaced families continue to endure harsh winter conditions compounded by the ongoing impacts of the genocidal war and siege against the narrow strip.

Civil defense and ambulance services say low temperatures are severely affecting children, the elderly, and those who are unwell.

The incidents reflect the dangerous humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, especially for children and displaced families living in weak tents that are not suitable for cold weather.

Families in Gaza are suffering from a lack of shelter and medical care, and the absence of heating due to fuel shortages caused by the Israeli blockade.

Most of the more than 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip have already been displaced multiple times; the biting cold and torrential rains are not just a seasonal change, but ultimately a threat to survival.

A series of winter storms has recently caused widespread flooding in low-lying areas and displacement camps.

For many, the nightmare is compounded by the collapse of buildings already weakened by hostilities. With no alternative shelter available, many displaced families have moved into structurally unsound buildings, where downpours and high winds increase the risk of sudden collapse, turning these spaces into life-threatening refuges rather than places of protection. 

According to data from the Government Media Office, Israel’s genocidal war has caused massive destruction, affecting 90% of the Gaza Strip’s civilian infrastructure.

Palestinian children freeze to death amid Israeli carnage in Gaza

At least four Palestinian babies also died of hypothermia at the al-Mawasi refugee camp in southern Gaza.

Israeli shelling pounds multiple areas of Gaza

Israeli forces carried out renewed artillery shelling and gunfire across several areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, in continued violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Israeli military vehicles opened fire in areas east of Deir al-Balah, while artillery shells targeted eastern parts of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza.

Israeli forces also shelled areas east of Khan Yunis in the south of the besieged region. Witnesses also confirmed random gunfire by Israeli military vehicles east of Khan Yunis.

Israeli artillery struck multiple locations east of Gaza City, within areas under Israeli military control.

Additional shelling was reported in the northern parts of Rafah, which remains fully occupied by Israeli forces.

Palestinians are suffering a worsening situation amid Israel’s failure to meet its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, which entered its first phase on October 10, 2025, including opening border crossings and allowing the agreed quantities of food, relief, medical aid, and shelter materials to enter the strip.

Israel’s brutal war has killed more than 71,500 people — most of them women and children — and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

At least 464 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,280 others injured in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir