Gaza between bombardment and frost as Palestinians face freezing to death

On one of the coldest nights since the beginning of winter, the residents of the Gaza Strip face a double hardship: relentless bombing and bitter cold that that both a direct threat to life. This is especially the case in displacement camps that lack the basic necessities of warmth and protection.

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defence in Gaza, explained that the sharp drop in temperatures had reached dangerous levels. And, the winter snap is putting children, disabled and chronically ill people, and older people in direct danger of death, especially inside dilapidated tents that offer no protection from the rain or wind. Basal warned that the continuing cold spell, coupled with the widespread humanitarian collapse, makes child deaths due to cold weather ‘a matter of time,’ not just a possibility.

Gaza huddles for warmth

Displaced Palestinians try to light tiny fires or huddle together to reduce the severity of the cold. Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation continues its violations on the ground, adding to the brutality of the scene. Occupation forces opened fire east of Jabalia, while the Juhor al-Dik area east of the Strip witnessed violent explosions that shook the ground and destroyed residential homes northeast of al-Bureij camp.

Gunshot wounds were also reported east of Khan Yunis and Al-Bureij camp. The wounded had no choice but to bleed in the bitter cold given poor medical facilities and a lack of heating. In Rafah, a tent sheltering displaced persons nearly turned into a mass tragedy after a nearby wall collapsed on it near the Matar Mosque, before civil defence crews intervened and removed the danger at the last minute.

According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, five Palestinians were killed today as a result of continued Israeli shelling of various areas of the Strip, in a continuation of the aggression that has not stopped since 7 October 2023.

According to the Ministry of Health’s data, the total number of martyrs of the Israeli aggression since the start of the war on 7 October 2023 until 20 January 2026 has risen to about 71,551, while the number of injured has exceeded 171,372.

The ministry notes that, despite the announcement of a ceasefire on 11 October 2025, Israeli attacks continued, resulting in the martyrdom of approximately 466 additional Palestinians as of 20 January 2026. During the nearly 100 days of the declared truce, more than 1,300 violations were recorded, resulting in more than 450 martyrs.

‘Silent killer’

In parallel with the bombing, the severe cold turned into a ‘silent killer,’ with press reports indicating that the number of deaths resulting from the cold during the current winter ranged between 9 and 24 cases, most of them children, amid a shortage of shelter, blankets and fuel, and the continued siege and prevention of the entry of adequate humanitarian supplies.

In Gaza, death is no longer limited to missiles and air strikes, but has extended to include frost, hunger and disease. Between the occupation’s artillery on one side and the winter cold on the other, Palestinian children stand naked from the cold, counting their breaths in the heavy night, while international promises erode and the truce remains a meaningless name.

Featured image via the Canary