Three-week-old Sila is the third baby to die from the cold in Gaza’s tent camps in recent days, according to doctors. A baby girl froze to death overnight in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating ceasefire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war.
The three-week old baby was the third to die from the cold in Gaza’s tent camps in recent days, doctors said. The deaths underscore the squalid conditions there, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crammed into often ramshackle tents after fleeing Israeli offensives.
Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. The offensive has caused widespread destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, often multiple times.
Hundreds of thousands are packed into tent camps along the coast as the cold, wet winter sets in. Aid groups have struggled to deliver food and supplies and say there are shortages of blankets, warm clothing and firewood. Israel has increased the amount of aid it allows into the territory, reaching an average of 130 trucks a day so far this month, up from about 70 a day in October and November.
Still, the amount remains well below than previous months and the United Nations says it is unable to distribute more than half the aid because Israeli forces deny permission to move within Gaza or because of rampant lawlessness and theft from trucks.
