GAZA ( WEB NEWS )
A 20-day-old baby has died due to extreme cold in Gaza. This brings the total number of children who have died from hypothermia in the past 6 days to 5 in the besieged Palestinian enclave. Gaza’s Ministry of Health issued a statement saying that Jumma Al-Batran passed away on Sunday, while his twin brother is in critical condition in the intensive care unit at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Jumma’s father, Yahya Al-Batran, said that when he woke up on Sunday, his son was cold and motionless, his body feeling like ice. The twins were born a month ago, and they had spent just one day in the nursery of Deir Al-Balah hospital, which, like other health centers in Gaza, was emptied due to Israeli violence. Yahya mentioned that doctors had advised his wife to keep the newborn warm, but this was impossible as they live in a tent, and the nighttime temperature regularly drops below 10°C. He explained that eight people live in their shelter, but they only have four blankets. He also mentioned how the dew drips from their tent during the night. Pointing to his deceased child, he said, “Look at the color of his skin, see how he’s frozen.”
Yahya’s family is living in a dilapidated tent in the central Gaza city of Deir Al-Balah. He mentioned that there is no electricity, the water is freezing, and they have no gas, heater, or even food. In desperation, he said, “My children are dying in front of my eyes, and no one cares.” He feared that his surviving twin might meet the same fate.
Children from the same settlement, some of whom were barefoot, were seen standing outside, watching Yahya mourning. The body of his deceased child was laid at the feet of an imam, whose shoes were barely bigger than the child. After prayers, the imam took off his coat up to his ankles and wrapped it around the father.
The area where the Al-Batran family is seeking refuge is close to the sea, and strong winds blow there. There are no proper tents, and the parents are unable to provide basic necessities for their children. Palestinian children are not only dying from airstrikes and bombs but also from malnutrition and hypothermia. Israeli forces have displaced nearly 2.3 million people in Gaza, and millions of them are forced to live in unsuitable tents along the southern Gaza coast amidst rain and storms.
Among the five children who died from the cold, three were from the Al-Mawasi area, and they froze to death within a week of their birth. Gaza’s field hospital head, Marwan Al-Hamas, confirmed Jumma’s death and said that with the ongoing cold weather, the number of children dying from hypothermia has now reached five. Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, a doctor at Al-Tahrir Maternity Hospital in Khan Younis, stated that they are seeing an average of 5 to 6 cases of hypothermia among children daily. He added that he had visited the tents where these infants were staying, and the conditions there were heartbreaking.
Since the war began last October, the people of Gaza have faced severe shortages of electricity, drinking water, food, and medical services, as they were forcibly displaced from their homes. In addition to being homeless, they are left helpless, with the harsh winter further exacerbating their suffering, which is now being supported by Israeli actions. Doctors have stated that at least three Palestinian children have died from hypothermia due to the cold, compounded by Israel’s blockade on essential winter supplies, food, and water. Hospitals in Gaza have been either destroyed or shut down. Since the beginning of the Israeli genocide in Gaza, at least 45,000 Palestinians have been martyred, with over 100,000 injured. Among the victims are a large number of children and women.