Extreme cold in Gaza kills two more Palestinian children on Friday

• Two Palestinian children die in Gaza on Friday due to extreme cold, bringing total deaths from the storm to three

Two Palestinian children have died in Gaza due to extreme cold, local authorities reported on Friday, as the polar storm “Byron” continues to batter the Strip.

The deaths occurred in different displacement sites across Gaza City, with the children arriving at Al-Shifa Hospital already deceased.

The fatalities mark the third child death linked to the cold weather since the storm began on Wednesday. Earlier this week, nine-year-old Hadeel Hamdan and infant Taim Al-Khawaja succumbed to freezing conditions while living in damaged homes or makeshift shelters.

On Thursday, nine-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazr died in Khan Younis after her tent was flooded by rainwater.

Health officials described the storm as the harshest yet for children and women living in torn, exposed tents, emphasizing that thousands of families remain without adequate heating or shelter. Munir Al-Barash, director general of Gaza’s Health Ministry, noted that around 44,000 pregnant women are residing in displacement camps under dangerous conditions, lacking basic maternal and child care.

The extreme cold and rain have caused respiratory distress, hypothermia, and heart complications among children arriving at hospitals. The health ministry also highlighted critical shortages of medicines and medical supplies, with hundreds of essential items unavailable due to the ongoing blockade.

In addition to the cold-related deaths, Gaza’s Interior Ministry reported that eight people have died since the storm began due to the collapse of previously bombed buildings, with others injured and several missing under rubble. Many residents, lacking alternatives, have returned to partially destroyed homes, preferring them over soaked and unsafe tents.

Civil defense teams have received over 4,300 emergency calls since Wednesday, working alongside police and municipal teams to rescue residents despite limited resources and deteriorating equipment. Authorities have called on the international community to urgently deliver aid and reconstruction materials to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.

The storm continues to affect hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, where roughly 250,000 families live in fragile shelters exposed to rain, flooding, and freezing temperatures.

Despite the end of recent hostilities, life in Gaza remains dire due to strict 'Israeli' restrictions on aid deliveries, violating the humanitarian agreements in place.