BRUTAL winter winds swept through Gaza on Tuesday, toppling walls onto flimsy tents and killing at least five Palestinians, including women, children, and an elderly man, hospital authorities reported.
AP reported today that the fatalities underscore the precarious living conditions that persist for displaced Palestinians, more than two years after Israeli bombardments reduced homes to rubble.
Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza City, confirmed that a 72-year-old man, his 15-year-old granddaughter, and his daughter-in-law were crushed when an eight-metre wall collapsed onto their tent near the Mediterranean coast. Three other family members sustained injuries.
“The world has allowed us to witness death in all its forms,” said Bassel Hamouda at the funeral, reflecting the deep despair of many residents. “It’s true the bombing may have temporarily stopped, but we have witnessed every conceivable cause of death in the world in the Gaza Strip.”
A second woman was killed in the western part of the city when another wall fell on her tent. In Deir al-Balah, a one-year-old boy died of hypothermia, the Health Ministry reported, marking the seventh child fatality from the cold this winter. Earlier deaths included a seven-day-old baby and a four-year-old girl.
UNICEF spokesman James Elder said that since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, at least 100 children and teenagers have been killed by military actions, including airstrikes, drone attacks, and live fire.
Hundreds more have been injured. “While bombings and shootings have slowed during the ceasefire, they have not stopped. What the world now calls calm would be considered a crisis anywhere else,” Elder said from Geneva.
Hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters were damaged or destroyed as storms struck across Gaza, leaving families exposed to freezing temperatures and flooding. In Zawaida, residents struggled to rebuild flooded tents, while in Khan Younis, strong waves swept tents and belongings into the Mediterranean. “The sea took our mattresses, our tents, our food and everything we owned,” said Shaban Abu Ishaq as he retrieved parts of his tent from the water.
Displaced Palestinians continue to live in conditions that humanitarian workers describe as barely habitable.
“It doesn’t work neither in summer nor in winter,” said Mohamed al-Sawalha, a 72-year-old from Jabaliya. “We left behind houses and buildings with doors that could be opened and closed. Now we live in a tent. Even sheep don’t live like we do.”
The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents remain unable to return to their homes in Israeli-controlled areas, relying on tents and temporary shelters that are ill-equipped for the harsh winter.
The United Nations and humanitarian partners are distributing emergency supplies, including blankets, tarps, tents, clothing, and nutrition items, but agencies warn that aid deliveries are insufficient to meet urgent needs.
Since the start of the October 2023 war, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that more than 71,400 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 440 fatalities recorded since the ceasefire began.
The crisis continues to strain a population already facing shortages of adequate housing, food, and medical support, leaving many vulnerable to further winter-related tragedies. - January 14, 2026
