Freezing temperatures have claimed at least 21 lives across Gaza’s overcrowded displacement camps, the majority of them children, as families endure winter conditions without adequate shelter, heating, or basic supplies. More than a million people remain crammed into makeshift tents and improvised shelters, exposed to the elements after months of mass displacement during a genocidal war that has shattered civilian life.

The arrival of successive cold fronts has intensified an already dire situation. Infants and elderly people are bearing the heaviest toll, with preventable deaths becoming a recurring reality as nights grow colder. The absence of insulation, warm clothing, and reliable access to fuel has turned winter into a lethal threat, compounding the suffering caused by hunger and exhaustion.

These deaths are not the result of weather alone. They stem from policies that have driven families from their homes, restricted the flow of essential goods, and left entire communities without protection. As the genocidal war continues, humanitarian needs are rising faster than relief can reach those in danger. Without immediate measures to ensure safe shelter, heating materials, and unimpeded humanitarian access, the coming weeks are likely to bring further loss of life.