Death of a baby and a young Palestinian due to cold and building collapse in Gaza

A baby died on Monday due to severe cold, and a young Palestinian due to a building collapse, as a result of the weather depression that struck the Gaza Strip and exacerbated the suffering of the displaced.

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced the death of the child Arkan Faras Musleh, who was two months old, due to severe cold, bringing the number of deaths due to cold and the weather depression to 3 cases.

The ministry also announced the death of a Palestinian due to a building collapse, raising the number of victims admitted to hospitals due to building collapses caused by the weather depression to 17 cases.

Meanwhile, the suffering of the displaced is worsening amid the weather depression striking the sector, while meteorological services expect a drop in temperatures, with heavy rainfall.

Palestinians are forced to reside in dilapidated buildings prone to collapse due to lack of options amid Israel's destruction of most buildings in the sector, and its prevention of the entry of mobile homes, construction materials, and reconstruction, shirking its commitments stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.

Suddenly, the Israeli occupation army opened the Gaza Valley stream from its side, which was closed by dams, causing the flooding and drifting of the tents of the Palestinian displaced in the nearby areas.

For his part, Mahmoud Basil, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip, said that since the impact of the weather depressions on the Gaza Strip began, 18 residential buildings have collapsed completely, resulting in significant human and material losses.

He added that more than 110 residential buildings have suffered partial collapses that are dangerous, posing a direct threat to the lives of thousands of citizens living in them or around them, and more than 90% of the displaced tents have been blown away and flooded due to the strength of the winds and the abundance of rain in a scene that reflects the magnitude of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

He explained that the Civil Defense teams have received more than 700 appeals and distress calls since the start of this weather depression, varying between rescuing those trapped in water and dealing with collapses and severe damages.

Basil continued that the repercussions of these weather depressions have resulted in the death of 25 citizens, including 6 children who died due to the bitter cold, while others died due to building collapses and falling into wells and rainwater collection pools.

He called on the world and the international community to take immediate and serious action to aid the citizens and provide urgent humanitarian needs before the catastrophe worsens further, stressing that tents have proven completely ineffective in the Gaza Strip as they did not provide protection from the cold or rain and are no longer suitable as a humanitarian solution in these harsh conditions.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that about 235,000 people in the Gaza Strip were affected by the weather depression Byron, which led to building collapses and damage to tents during the period between December 10 and 17.

The agency added that 17 buildings collapsed, and more than 42,000 tents or temporary shelters suffered complete or partial damage, affecting at least 235,000 people, according to what it conveyed from the Shelter Group in Gaza, which includes United Nations organizations and non-governmental organizations.

Since Saturday, the Gaza Strip has been affected by a polar weather depression, which is the third of its kind since the beginning of the winter season, accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds, at a time when residents face a severe shortage of shelter materials and basic aid.

Despite the end of the genocide war with the entry of the ceasefire agreement into force on October 10, 2025, the living conditions have not seen significant improvement, due to Israel's shirking of fulfilling its commitments stipulated in the agreement, including the entry of the agreed quantities of food, relief, medical materials, and mobile homes.