A three-month-old infant, Shaza Abu Jarad, died from hypothermia in a Gaza City tent camp on January 20, 2026, amid freezing winter conditions.
Shaza was found dead by her family in their makeshift tent in the Daraj neighborhood after nighttime temperatures dropped below 10°C. Her father, Mohamed Abu Jarad, described rushing her lifeless body—cold and frozen—to Al-Ahli Hospital, where doctors confirmed hypothermia as the cause, corroborated by Gaza's Health Ministry. This marked the ninth child death from severe cold this winter, highlighting ongoing shortages of blankets, warm clothing, and heating in displacement camps despite a ceasefire.
Gaza's hundreds of thousands of tent dwellers face harsh winters, with displaced families like the Abu Jarads—whose home was destroyed—lacking adequate shelter post-war. UNICEF reported six such child hypothermia deaths earlier this season, warning of a "suffocating" humanitarian situation even after limited aid under the October 2025 ceasefire. Over 100 children have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire, with some of those deaths from cold exposure amid blocked supplies.
