A 20-day-old baby in Gaza died from severe cold on Sunday (December 29), marking the fifth hypothermia-related fatality in just six days in the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian enclave.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health identified the baby as Jumaa al-Batran, adding that his twin brother, Ali, is in intensive care at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
The boys’ father, Yahya al-Batran, said that they were born one month premature and spent only one day in the hospital, which, like other healthcare facilities in Gaza, is overwhelmed and operating at limited capacity. He said doctors advised their mother to keep the newborns warm, but it was impossible as they live in a tent, where nighttime temperatures often drop below 10 degrees Celsius.
“There is no electricity. The water is cold, and there is no gas, heating or food. … My children are dying in front of my eyes, and nobody cares. Jumaa has died, and I fear his brother Ali may follow,” the father told local media.
Gaza’s Residents Face Severe Hardships
Israeli forces have displaced nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, forcing tens of thousands to seek shelter in inadequate tents along the rainy, windswept coast in southern Gaza.
Three of the five Palestinian babies who froze to death in less than a week were living in the “humanitarian zone” in al-Mawasi.
Since the war began in October, Gaza’s residents have faced extreme shortages of electricity, drinking water, food, and medical services, as they have been forced from their homes and displaced multiple times.
