GAZA CITY — The commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, has issued a stark warning that children in Gaza are freezing to death due to cold weather and a dire lack of shelter and supplies.

“Gaza babies are freezing to death due to cold weather and a lack of shelter,” Lazzarini wrote in a post on X late Friday.

He highlighted that vital winter supplies, including blankets and mattresses, have been stuck in the region for months, awaiting approval to enter Gaza amid Israel’s blockade of the territory.

Lazzarini called for an immediate cease-fire and urgent delivery of essential supplies to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis, which has been exacerbated by the ongoing blockade and destruction from the war.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported three child deaths in makeshift displacement camps over the past week due to freezing temperatures.

Among the victims was two-week-old Sila Mahmoud Al-Faseeh, who succumbed to the cold in Khan Younis’s Al-Mawasi camp on Wednesday, following the earlier death of infant Aisha Adnan Al-Qassas in the same camp.

The deteriorating conditions in Gaza, combined with limited resources, have left thousands of displaced families vulnerable to extreme weather, further compounding the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave.

Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a cross-border attack, Israeli military operations have killed over 45,400 people in Gaza, reducing much of the enclave to rubble.

In response to the devastation, the International Criminal Court last month issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza. — Agencies