'She was like wood': Baby freezes to death in Gaza as aid struggles due to Israeli restrictions

The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events.The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events.
The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events. | X
A three-week-old baby girl froze to death in a tent camp in Gaza overnight, as Israel and Hamas accused each other of obstructing ceasefire negotiations that could potentially bring an end to the 14-month-long war.

The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events.

“It was very cold overnight and as adults we couldn’t even take it. We couldn’t stay warm,” he told The Associated Press. Despite wrapping Sila in a blanket, the freezing conditions of their tent in the Muwasi area, outside Khan Younis, proved fatal. “She woke up crying three times overnight, and in the morning, we found her unresponsive, her body stiff,” said Mr. al-Faseeh. “She was like wood.”

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Sila was rushed to a field hospital where doctors attempted to revive her, but her lungs had already failed. Ahmed al-Farra, director of the children’s ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed the cause of death as hypothermia. Sila’s death follows the recent death of another newborn, 20-day-old Aisha Sufyan Al-Qassas, who also succumbed to hypothermia.

The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events.The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events.
The infant, Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh, was the third baby to die from hypothermia in Gaza's makeshift shelters in recent days, according to doctors. Her father, Mahmoud al-Faseeh, recounted the devastating events. | X

The deaths of infants like Sila and Aisha highlight the dire conditions in Gaza, where over 45,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel’s offensive has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, forcing many into overcrowded and poorly equipped tent camps as winter sets in.

Aid groups have struggled to deliver essential supplies such as food, blankets, and firewood. While Israel has increased the daily number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza to an average of 130 this month, the United Nations reports that it is unable to distribute more than half the aid due to restrictions imposed by Israeli forces, as well as theft and lawlessness.

Muwasi, a desolate stretch of dunes and farmland on Gaza's Mediterranean coast, is home to thousands of displaced Palestinians living in similar conditions. Temperatures on Tuesday night dropped to 9°C (48°F), exacerbating the risk of hypothermia in the poorly insulated shelters.

The devastated father added: “It was very cold, and we did everything we could. But it wasn’t enough.”

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