Three babies have tragically succumbed to the brutal winter conditions in the Al-Mawasi camp of southern Gaza, shedding light on the dire humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian children displaced by the ongoing military offensive. The freezing temperatures, compounded by a lack of shelter and basic necessities, have taken a devastating toll on vulnerable populations.
A newborn baby, Sela Mahmoud Al-Fasih, was reported to have “froze to death from the extreme cold” in Al-Mawasi, according to Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, who shared the heartbreaking news on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. Sela’s mother, Nariman, expressed her grief, saying, “I was warming her and holding her. But we didn’t have extra clothes for me to warm this girl.”
Along with Sela, at least two other infants—a three-day-old and a one-month-old—have died from the freezing temperatures and the lack of access to warm shelter. Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, the head of Pediatrics and Obstetrics at Naseer Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed these deaths, speaking to CNN about the tragic situation.
The loss of young life in Gaza has reached devastating levels. Philippe Lazzarini, a human rights advocate and chief of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, reported that over 17,600 children have died since the start of the conflict, with one child lost every hour. In addition to the fatalities, more than 17,000 children have been separated from their families, and many are unable to receive adequate care due to shortages of medical supplies and overwhelmed health facilities.
Dr. Al-Farra highlighted the grave situation facing premature babies, noting that shortages of essential medical equipment, such as ventilators and medications, are contributing to the high death toll. The scarcity of life-saving resources is exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.
