Gaza: Cold kills children, elderly as 127,000 tents fail

Shafaq News– Gaza

Severe winter weather has damaged 127,000 emergency tents across the Gaza Strip, the Gaza Government Media Office reported on Tuesday, as casualties linked to extreme cold continue to increase.

In a statement, the office said the damaged tents account for the majority of the 135,000 shelters used by displaced families, while shortages of blankets and heating supplies exceed 70% across the territory. It attributed the worsening conditions to widespread destruction and mass displacement, accusing Israel of destroying about 90% of Gaza’s urban infrastructure, displacing more than two million people, and leaving 288,000 families without shelter. The United Nations has estimated reconstruction needs at around $70 billion.

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Health officials warned that the collapse of shelter and basic services is now translating into a mounting medical emergency. The director of Al-Shifa Hospital said viral infections —suspected to include mutated strains of influenza or COVID-19— are spreading amid weakened immunity caused by prolonged hunger. He noted that hospitals are operating far beyond capacity, with bed occupancy reaching 150%, while routine vaccinations for vulnerable groups can no longer be provided. Continued overcrowding in displacement centers, without urgent medical intervention, he cautioned, would further increase fatalities.

According to Palestinian media, more than ten people —mostly children and elderly— died from cold-related causes over the past 24 hours. The outlets documented footage of a Palestinian woman grieving after her husband was killed when a wall from a damaged building collapsed onto the tent where they were sheltering in Gaza City. The incident occurred amid what they described as ongoing Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid caravans and delays in rebuilding war-damaged homes.

محزن جدا | سيدة فلسطينية تُفجع باستشهاد زوجها بعد انهيار جدار مبنى على خيمتهم في منطقة الشاليهات غرب مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/AgOItSmrv8

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) January 13, 2026

Gaza’s Health Ministry put the death toll in the Strip at 71,419, with 171,318 injured since October 2023.