Gaza: ‘Hunger is everywhere’, babies die from the cold, airstrike on unarmed journalists condemned

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Newborns and infants in Gaza have reportedly died of hypothermia, deaths described by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as preventable. The news comes amid continued Israeli bombardments and an expected further drop in temperatures.

In Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their homes are sheltering in tents, the temperatures are expected to drop further in the coming days.

Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, reported in a statement on Friday that, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, four newborns and infants died in recent days from hypothermia.

“These preventable deaths lay bare the desperate and deteriorating conditions facing families and children across Gaza,” said Mr. Beigbeder.

“With temperatures expected to drop further in the coming days, it is tragically foreseeable that more children’s lives will be lost to the inhumane conditions they are enduring”.

The senior official underlined the fact that, beyond the constant threat of attacks, many in Gaza are living without nutrition, or healthcare. Their makeshift shelters, he said, offer no protection from the freezing weather.

© WFP

Over 90% of Gaza’s population is facing crisis levels of hunger.

Relentless attacks

Meanwhile, ongoing hostilities continue to claim Palestinian lives across the Gaza Strip, including near health facilities.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) raised alarm over such attacks, which have also killed health and aid workers.

“An airstrike near Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza governorate last night reportedly killed dozens of people, including health workers. In Kamal Adwan hospital today, staff, patients and their companions were forced out of the facility,” the Office said in an update.

“We are alarmed by ongoing attacks across the Strip that have left scores of Palestinians dead. Arrests and significant damage to the hospital have been reported,” it added.

Humanitarian aid blocked

UNICEF and other UN agencies have frequently reported that, far too often, aid convoys are not being given permission to enter the Gaza Strip and deliver supplies to those in need.

Mr. Beigbeder noted that, in November, an average of 65 truckloads of assistance entered the enclave daily, far too little to adequately address the urgent needs of children, women and other civilians.

He called for all access crossings to be opened, as did the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN emergency food relief agency in a social media post on Friday.

WFP declared that it has only been able to bring in about a third of the food needed to support people in Gaza, and that “hunger is everywhere”.

© WFP

WFP food assistance is a lifeline for children and families in Gaza.

Journalist killing condemned

The UN Human Rights Office has condemned the killing of five journalists by Israeli forces on Thursday.

In a social media post published on Friday, the Office noted that the journalists were unarmed, and clearly identified as members of the press, when their van was hit by an airstrike in the vicinity of the Al Awda hospital in Gaza.

The Israeli military claim that the journalists were affiliated with Palestinian armed groups does not remove their protection as civilians, declared the Office, reiterating that urgent measures are needed to protect all civilians, including journalists, in Gaza.

The Office is calling for a thorough and impartial investigation into the killings.

Situation in the West Bank

Meanwhile in the West Bank, OCHA reported that as of Thursday Israeli military operations have killed 20 Palestinians over a 10-day period, including 12 deaths from airstrikes.

In Tulkarm refugee camp, a military operation caused significant infrastructure damage, with OCHA raising concerns over the repeated use of lethal, war-like tactics exceeding law enforcement standards.

OCHA also reported that 2024 marked the highest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since records began nearly two decades ago.

As of Tuesday, 4,706 Palestinians, including 1,949 children, have been displaced, largely due to Israeli military operations, demolitions, settler violence and access restrictions.

Some 1,209 structures were demolished or forced to be demolished this year, citing lack of permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.

UNRWA: A ‘glimmer of hope’

• The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has published a “year in review”, as a tribute to its aid workers, including those in the Gaza Strip, who have been a lifeline for people affected by the ongoing war.
• Gaza has become the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarian workers: as of December 22, 258 UNRWA team members have been killed in the conflict, and around 190 installations have been damaged.
• Read UNRWA’s Year in Review 2024 here.