Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned that babies and young children in the Gaza Strip are dying amid freezing winter conditions, urging Israel to immediately ease restrictions on humanitarian aid as military attacks continue despite the ceasefire.
MSF said on Friday that harsh weather, combined with Gaza’s already devastating living conditions, is sharply increasing health risks for vulnerable families. The organisation cited the death of a 29-day-old premature infant, Said Asad Abedin, who died from severe hypothermia in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 13 people have died as a result of extreme winter weather. Earlier this week, another infant, two-week-old Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Khair, also froze to death after being exposed to the cold without proper shelter or warm clothing.
Ahmed al-Farra, head of the maternity and paediatric department at Nasser Medical Complex, warned that hypothermia poses a serious and often fatal threat to infants. He said that without urgent support such as heating, mobile homes, or caravans, more children are likely to die.
“Hypothermia is extremely dangerous for babies,” al-Farra said in a video message. “If families continue living in tents without protection from the cold, we will see more deaths.”
MSF staff at hospitals across Gaza have reported an increasing number of infants arriving in critical condition. “Children are dying because they lack even the most basic necessities for survival,” said Bilal Abu Saada, a nursing supervisor at Nasser Hospital. “Babies are being brought in cold, with vital signs close to collapse.”
Winter Conditions Worsen Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis
In addition to hypothermia, MSF said it has documented a surge in respiratory infections, particularly among children under five, a trend expected to worsen as winter storms continue.
“Heavy rains and strong winds are battering Gaza, while hundreds of thousands of displaced people remain trapped in flooded and damaged tents,” MSF said in a statement. The organisation called on Israeli authorities to urgently allow a large-scale increase in humanitarian aid, including shelter materials, blankets, and heating supplies.
More than 53,000 tents have reportedly been destroyed or damaged by storms in recent weeks. With much of Gaza’s infrastructure already in ruins, flooding has overwhelmed streets and sewage systems, forcing families to take refuge in unsafe, partially collapsed buildings. At least 13 structures caved in across the territory last week alone.
Aid Blockade and Continued Violence Raise Alarm
Despite the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, Israel has continued to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid, according to MSF and the United Nations. The UN said Israel has blocked tents, blankets, and other essential supplies, even as an estimated 55,000 families lost shelter during recent storms.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces continued military operations on Saturday, including demolitions, shelling, and gunfire east of Gaza City and Khan Younis. On Friday, at least six Palestinians were killed when an Israeli strike hit a shelter for displaced civilians.
Graphic footage from the scene showed injured civilians being carried through rubble amid panic and chaos.
The humanitarian toll has been devastating for families like that of Eman Abu al-Khair, a displaced mother living in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis. She said her newborn son Mohammed was found “cold as ice” inside their tent during heavy rain.
Unable to reach a hospital due to flooding and lack of transport, the family eventually rushed the baby by animal-drawn cart at dawn. He was admitted to intensive care but died two days later.
“I can still hear his tiny cries,” Eman said. “He was healthy, but his small body couldn’t survive the cold.”
Humanitarian groups say aid is entering Gaza only in limited amounts. Natasha Hall of Refugees International said Israel’s broad list of “dual-use” items has included basic necessities such as nappies, bandages, tents, and tools, severely slowing relief efforts.
“It’s hard to understand how these items pose any security risk,” Hall said, warning that continued restrictions could lead to further loss of life.