Extreme Cold Kills Infant in Gaza as Israel Blocks Vital Aid Supplies

A newborn baby has died in Gaza after being exposed to extreme cold, underscoring the worsening humanitarian crisis as winter conditions tighten their grip on the war-torn territory and vital aid supplies remain severely restricted.

Local health officials said the infant, just days old, succumbed to hypothermia after temperatures dropped sharply overnight in makeshift shelters housing displaced families. With thousands of homes destroyed and fuel shortages crippling heating and electricity, many families are struggling to protect children and the elderly from the cold.

The tragedy comes as humanitarian agencies warn that Gaza’s fragile healthcare and relief systems are on the brink of collapse. Aid groups say essential items such as blankets, winter clothing, medical equipment, and fuel are in critically short supply due to ongoing restrictions on the entry of humanitarian convoys. “This is not just a weather crisis — it is a man-made emergency,” a senior relief worker said. “People are dying not because help doesn’t exist, but because it cannot reach them.”

Hospitals across Gaza report an increasing number of patients suffering from cold-related illnesses, particularly among infants and displaced families living in tents or damaged buildings. Doctors say malnutrition and lack of proper shelter are making children especially vulnerable as temperatures continue to fall.

Israel has said security concerns require strict controls on what enters the territory, but international organizations argue that current restrictions are worsening civilian suffering. The United Nations and several global aid agencies have renewed calls for immediate, unhindered humanitarian access, warning that more preventable deaths could follow if conditions do not improve.

Residents say the cold has become another enemy in a conflict already defined by shortages and fear. “We survive the bombs, but now we fight the winter with nothing,” said a displaced father sheltering his family in southern Gaza. “Our children are paying the price.”

As the crisis deepens, pressure is mounting on the international community to broker expanded aid corridors and emergency winter relief. For families in Gaza, the death of the infant is a heartbreaking reminder that beyond the front lines of war, a silent battle for survival is being fought every night — against hunger, exposure, and the absence of basic care.