A prematurely born infant lies in an incubator at the neonatal intensive care unit at the Patient Friend's Benevolent Society hospital in Gaza City, 25 February 2025 (AFP/Omar al-Qattaa)
Five Palestinian newborn babies have died from extreme cold in the war-torn and besieged Gaza Strip, a hospital director has said, amid continued Israeli delays in allowing the entrance of caravans and tents to shelter displaced families.
Saeed Salah, the chief of Friends of the Patient Charity Hospital, told media outlets on Monday that the nursery department had handled nine cases over the past two weeks, all of which involved severe health conditions caused by the harsh weather.
He added that these cases had all come from northern Gaza, where the majority reside in poorly made tents made of worn-out-cloth that are out in the open and without heating.
Dr Salah noted that one child remains in intensive care, where he is placed on a ventilator, and three others have been discharged from the hospital as their condition had improved.
The five dead infants were aged between one day and two weeks, according to him.
"Three cases died within hours of admission. They were young and weighed between 1.7 and two kilograms," he said.
The children endure complications such as respiratory failure, liver failure, low blood pressure, and blue skin colour as a result of this weather, he added.
He also noted that some of the most prominent cases arriving at the hospital arrive with low body temperatures reaching 32 and 33 degrees Celsius.
Local media separately reported that another infant also succumbed to the poor weather conditions.
Sham Yousef al-Shambari, who was just 60 days old, died on Tuesday morning inside her family's tent due to the severe cold in the Mawasi area in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Dr Salah urged the relevant authorities and the international community to provide immediate assistance, including mobile homes, tents, and fuel, to ensure warmth for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians left without shelter due to the widespread Israeli destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure.
As part of the ceasefire agreement reached last month, Israel agreed to permit an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, including allowing 60,000 mobile homes and 200,000 tents.
However, so far, Israel has not fulfilled its commitment, allowing only 20,000 tents and a handful of mobile homes, none of which are designated for civilians.
According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people, nearly 90 percent of Gaza's population, across the besieged enclave have been displaced as a result of Israel's war on Gaza.
Most residences in the Gaza Strip have either been severely damaged or destroyed by Israel's 15-month long bombardment, with the Ministry of Public Works and Housing placing their estimates at 92 percent.