The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip reported that two children have died due to extreme cold, raising the total number of child deaths since the start of winter to six. Meanwhile, Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal warned of catastrophic consequences from a polar weather system set to begin on Tuesday, threatening approximately 1.5 million Palestinians.
اضافة اعلان
The Civil Defense and Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza also reported four deaths resulting from partial collapses of war-damaged buildings in western Gaza City due to the storm affecting the region.
Thousands of displaced people in the Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza have taken shelter in mosques and partially destroyed buildings after their tents were uprooted by the storm.
In statements to Anadolu Agency, Bassal said that a new polar system is hitting Gaza, and its impact will be catastrophic for many families, threatening the lives of over 1.5 million people currently living in tents under dire conditions.
He expressed concern about the expected consequences, noting that the weather situation is severe and may only end in a real tragedy, potentially causing fatalities, collapses, or flooding of citizens’ tents.
Bassal renewed his appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations, stressing the need to “recognize the scale of the disaster, take responsibility to end the suffering, and provide what is necessary to protect the dignity of civilians.”
Meanwhile, Palestinian meteorologist Laith Al-Alami explained that the Palestinian territories will be affected from Monday night until Tuesday evening by a deep and stormy weather system accompanied by a severe polar air mass.
Al-Alami predicted very low temperatures with significantly strong winds, especially in coastal areas. He added that heavy rainfall will affect all governorates, including Gaza, potentially accompanied by thunder and hail, and warned of the dangers posed by strong winds to displaced persons’ tents.
On another note, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on Monday that over 18,500 people in Gaza, including 4,000 children, are still in urgent need of medical evacuation.
Ghebreyesus called on more countries to open their doors to patients from Gaza and to resume medical evacuations to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
He noted that during the past week, the organization facilitated the medical evacuation of 18 patients and 36 companions from Gaza to Jordan for specialized care, including treatment for severe injuries and other critical conditions.
With U.S. support, Israel has waged a genocidal war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, lasting two years and resulting in more than 71,000 deaths and over 171,000 injuries, most of them children and women.
Despite the start of an initial phase of a ceasefire under a plan by U.S. President Donald Trump, the occupation continues to severely restrict the entry of food, medicine, medical supplies, and shelter materials into Gaza, where approximately 2.4 million Palestinians live in dire conditions.
Al Jazeera
