A Palestinian baby girl died on Tuesday morning from the bitter cold in Gaza City, a tragic scene that reflects the depth of the worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory.
Seven-month-old Shaza Abu Jarad succumbed to freezing temperatures, exacerbated by a critical lack of heating and the scarcity of humanitarian aid. Her death raises the number of children who have perished from the extreme cold in the Gaza Strip this winter to nine, while thousands of displaced families endure harsh weather in dilapidated, unfit tents.
Seven-month-old Shatha Abu Jarad, an innocent soul who had barely begun to live, passed away this morning due the freezing cold that is tearing through the displacement camps in Gaza.
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 20, 2026
As a matter of fact, Israel continues to block any meaningful reconstruction efforts in the… pic.twitter.com/4LKT7wrfBS
This suffering is compounded by what is described as the Israeli occupation’s failure to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, 2015, particularly regarding opening crossings to allow the entry of food, medical supplies, and heating materials. Recent storms have flooded tens of thousands of tents and collapsed bomb-damaged buildings. Official data indicates approximately 90% of civilian infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed.
The cold-related deaths occur alongside ongoing ceasefire violations. Early Tuesday, two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces, coinciding with airstrikes and artillery shelling across the Gaza Strip. Israeli artillery targeted Beit Lahia and areas east of the Bureij refugee camp, while warplanes struck Al-Sikka Street east of Gaza City. A military helicopter fired southeast of Deir al-Balah, and further airstrikes hit east of Khan Younis.
Since the ceasefire began, 465 Palestinians have been martyred
and 1,287 wounded, with restrictions on humanitarian aid continuing for the Strip’s 2.4 million residents living in catastrophic conditions. The broader conflict has resulted in more than 71,000 martyrs and 171,000 wounded, the majority children and women, and widespread destruction estimated by the United Nations to cost about $70 billion to rebuild.
Source: Palestinian media (edited and translated by Al-Manar)