AhlulBayt News Agency: A two-month-old baby boy died from prolonged exposure to cold weather, while a young man was martyred when a war-damaged building collapsed in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza’s health ministry reported on Monday that the infant, Arkan Firas, succumbed to hypothermia, raising the number of babies who have died from cold conditions to three.
The ministry also confirmed the death of a Palestinian young man in a building collapse, bringing the total number of victims of similar incidents to 17.
Meanwhile, the suffering of displaced Palestinians continues to worsen as a new storm strikes the Strip, with forecasts predicting lower temperatures and heavy rainfall.
Officials in Gaza warned that severe weather conditions pose additional dangers, including disease outbreaks from contaminated floodwaters due to damaged sewage systems, and the risk of further building collapses during and after the storm.
The harsh weather has added to the misery of displaced Palestinians who have endured over two years of bombardment, siege, and destruction in Israel’s genocidal war, while the occupation regime continues to block vital shelter and aid supplies.
On Monday, fragile tents were flooded and makeshift camps turned into mud following heavy winter rains across the coastal enclave.
Many families have been forced to live in damaged buildings due to the destruction of most homes and Israel’s ongoing blockade of mobile homes and construction materials, in violation of ceasefire commitments.
In a related incident, the Israeli army deliberately released rainwater from dams east of Wadi Gaza, flooding and sweeping away dozens of tents belonging to displaced families.
According to UNRWA, at least 235,000 people in Gaza have been affected by this “man-made” crisis worsened by low-pressure weather systems.
UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini wrote on social media: “Months of war and displacement forced people in Gaza to live amid collapsing ruins in makeshift shelters or flimsy tents.”
He added: “While Storm Byron that struck Gaza on December 10 was a natural hazard, its consequences are man-made.”
Between December 10 and 17, heavy rains and strong winds caused 17 building collapses and damaged more than 42,000 tents or shelters, affecting at least 235,000 people, according to Shelter Cluster data cited by Lazzarini.
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