A Palestinian newborn has died from extreme cold in southern Gaza, underscoring how dire living conditions — exacerbated by Israel’s failure to fully implement ceasefire commitments — continue to claim civilian lives months after fighting was supposed to ease.
Medical sources at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said that 27-day-old Aisha Ayesh al-Agha died on Saturday due to severe cold, raising to eight the number of children who have died from winter weather since the start of the season, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The infant’s death comes as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced, living in tents or structurally unsafe buildings after Israel’s war destroyed around 90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, according to the Government Media Office.
Israel fails to honour ceasefire commitments
Despite the first phase of a ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, Israel has failed to meet key obligations, including reopening crossings and allowing sufficient food, medical supplies, fuel and shelter materials into the enclave.
Palestinian officials say these restrictions have deepened humanitarian suffering and left families unable to protect children from harsh winter conditions.
Recent storms have compounded the crisis, tearing apart displacement tents, flooding encampments and collapsing buildings already weakened by Israeli bombardment, sometimes trapping residents beneath rubble.
Palestinians accuse Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire, which followed a war that killed more than 71,000 people — mostly women and children — and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023. Since the truce began, at least 464 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,280 wounded in continued Israeli attacks, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Humanitarian agencies warn that without unrestricted aid access and adequate shelter, preventable deaths — especially among children — will continue.
