One-Month-Old Baby Dies of Cold in Gaza Amid Israeli Blockade and Humanitarian Crisis

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the crime committed by the Israeli occupation, stating that "calls for providing real shelter through temporary housing and initiating reconstruction have not led to an effective response, while children who once died from bombings now perish from the cold."

The Citizen

18/12/2025 4:34pm

Original article: Guagua de un mes muere de frío en Gaza en medio del bloqueo israelí y la falta de ayuda humanitaria

Reflecting the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, a one-month-old baby tragically succumbed to extreme cold, becoming a symbol of the suffering faced by a population trapped between blockade, the aftermath of war, and international neglect.

The death of baby Saeed Asaad Abdeen in Khan Younis, reported by the Palestinian enclave’s Ministry of Health, raises the death toll to 13 from the recent winter wave, in a context where the promised humanitarian aid has failed to reach those who need it most.

According to an official statement from the Gaza Ministry of Health, the infant died due to a significant drop in temperatures amid the failure to comply with the humanitarian ceasefire protocol established on October 11.

The health institution directly attributed the tragedy to the conditions imposed by the blockade enforced by Israel, accusing that «the entry of agreed-upon aid and relief materials continues to be lacking.»

In this regard, Al Mayadeen reported that «the lack of humanitarian assistance has exacerbated the suffering of the population living in unprotected tents against intense cold, a situation that particularly affects children.»

With the case of little Saeed, the number of fatalities linked to the winter wave in the Gaza Strip has risen to 13 amidst the ongoing siege.

The humanitarian emergency overlaps with a scenario of residual violence. The same Ministry of Health reported that «in the last 24 hours, a new martyr and 13 injured were admitted to Gaza hospitals as a result of Israeli aggression.»

Accumulated figures since the ceasefire agreement reveal an alarming picture, as the total number of casualties has reached 395 dead and 1,088 injured since October 11, 2025, while 634 bodies have been recovered from the rubble.

From a broader perspective, the total toll of the Israeli aggression that began on October 7, 2023, stands at 70,669 Palestinians killed and 171,165 injured.

Hamas: «Children Died from Bombings, Now They Perish from the Cold»

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denounced that the ongoing deaths of children in Gaza due to extreme cold, including the recent death of Saeed Asaad Abdeen, constitute a crime perpetrated by the Israeli occupation «by maintaining the siege and preventing reconstruction after the Zionist extermination war against the Strip.»

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem criticized the lack of progress in substantive solutions, stating that «calls for providing real shelter through temporary housing and initiating reconstruction have not led to an effective response, while children who once died from bombings now perish from the cold,» as reported by Al Mayadeen.

In light of this scenario, Qassem urged the international community to take serious and genuine actions to provide aid to Gaza before the disaster escalates. He also called on U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure the Zionist regime to fulfill its commitments to the ceasefire, allow aid entry, and open the border crossings.