Five infants have tragically lost their lives in Gaza due to the severe cold, as residents endure dire humanitarian conditions under the ongoing Israeli blockade. The deteriorating situation has left families without access to shelter, heating, or essential supplies, further deepening what international organisations have described as an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
Medical sources in Gaza have warned that several other children are in critical condition due to exposure to extreme cold. The lack of heating and adequate shelter has put thousands of displaced families at grave risk, particularly those who lost their homes in Israeli airstrikes. These families are forced to endure freezing temperatures without basic necessities, compounding the already catastrophic conditions in the besieged enclave.
The medical director of the “Friends of the Patient” hospital in Gaza, Saeed Salah, said in media statements that the hospital received 9 infants suffering from health complications due to the freezing weather over past two weeks.
“Over the past two weeks, 5 infants died in age groups ranging from one day to two weeks out of the total cases that arrived at the hospital.”
He indicated that one child is still in intensive care where he remains on a ventilator due to the seriousness of his health condition, noting that 3 other infants left the hospital after their health conditions improved.
Under international humanitarian law, the denial of essential humanitarian aid, including fuel, medical supplies, and emergency relief, constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions. Warring parties are legally obligated to ensure the well-being of civilian populations, yet Gaza remains cut off from life-saving aid, worsening an already desperate situation.
The deprivation of children’s right to life due to preventable causes such as cold and starvation constitutes a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The systematic blockade and restrictions on aid have pushed Gaza’s civilian population into extreme vulnerability, with infants and young children suffering the gravest consequences.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has repeatedly called for urgent protection for children in Gaza, warning that ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid endanger hundreds of thousands of lives. Similarly, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has urged unrestricted access to humanitarian relief, cautioning that conditions in Gaza have surpassed the threshold of a humanitarian catastrophe.
As the death toll continues to rise, the international community faces a crucial test of its commitment to civilian protection and preventing the use of blockade and starvation as weapons of war. Urgent international action is required to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for these violations, particularly the preventable deaths of children, who remain the most vulnerable victims of this siege.
