Winter storms and a biting cold snap have killed more than a dozen Palestinians in the Gaza Strip this month, according to local authorities, as Israel maintains tight restrictions on the entry of shelter materials and other humanitarian aid into the war-torn territory.
According to the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza, at least 17 people have already lost their lives in December as heavy rain, strong winds and freezing temperatures battered displacement shelters and caused walls, homes and tents, many already damaged by Israeli strikes, to collapse.
Medical sources said the fatalities included four children, who succumbed to freezing temperatures.
Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said in a statement that “temperatures drop significantly during the night hours,” warning that “bitter cold threatens the lives of young children in the absence of shelter and heating.”
He added, “What we are experiencing now in Gaza is a real humanitarian catastrophe. Save the children of Gaza before the cold claims them.”
During December, 17 residential buildings completely collapsed as intense rainfall and strong winds continued to hit the coastal sliver. About 90 percent of makeshift shelters for displaced people, whose homes were destroyed by Israeli attacks, were flooded with rainwater, according to Civil Defense.
This suffering comes as Israel continues to refrain from fulfilling all its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, which took effect on October 10.
Those obligations include adhering to its humanitarian protocol — most notably allowing in shelter materials and the 300,000 tents and mobile homes designated for the displaced — a point the Government Media Office in Gaza has repeatedly emphasized.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its daily report on Wednesday that “winterization supplies” remain “limited” in Gaza amid heavy rain and cold conditions.
The agency reported that 44 designated emergency shelters faced severe flooding this week due to blocked drainage channels. These included 21 shelters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, 22 others in Gaza City, and one in the North Gaza governorate.
“This caused temporary disruptions in the delivery of drinking water and food, and some families were forced to relocate to bathrooms, administrative rooms, and temporary learning spaces due to damaged tents and soaked belongings,” OCHA said.
“In total, 4,721 displaced people were affected, and more than 691 tents were damaged or impacted by flooding” on Monday and Tuesday, the agency reported.
“Site management teams responded promptly by mobilizing residents to clean blocked manholes, rainfall gullies, rainwater discharge pipes and pump water from flooded areas into the drainage system.”
Red Cross warns of Gaza building‑collapse threat
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned about the significant risks posed by the collapse of damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip due to harsh weather conditions, emphasizing that the unstable structures endanger residents' lives directly and are amplifying the growing toll of casualties.
The Geneva-based humanitarian organization highlighted on Wednesday that thousands of civilians are compelled to stay inside unsafe homes and structures due to the absence of practical alternatives and insufficient shelter options, significantly escalating the humanitarian risks throughout the region.
The ICRC stressed the critical importance of boosting the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and maintaining its continuity to address both immediate and longer-term needs.
This includes supplying food, shelter, and essential items, along with the tools required to restore vital infrastructure severely impacted by extensive damage.
It emphasized the need to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian aid and to guarantee its swift and secure delivery to all regions across the Gaza Strip, aiming to alleviate the population's suffering amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 70,667 Palestinians, the majority being women and children, with 171,151 others injured, in Gaza.
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