Between Israeli attacks and winter cold, helpless Gazans struggle to survive

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Surviving relentless Israeli attacks for the past 15 months, displaced civilians are now struggling to stay alive amid freezing winter cold in the Gaza Strip.

“The humanitarian situation of the displaced is tragic,” Gaza Municipality spokesman Hosni Muhanna told Anadolu.

“They have no means of heating, fuel, clothing or blankets, and no permanent solutions to improve their living conditions.”

Civilians have been under a brutal Israeli war since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 45,600 people, mostly women and children, and injuring over 108,400 others.

Tel Aviv has also imposed a stifling blockade on the enclave, leaving the territory’s entire population on the verge of famine.

A cold wave and torrential rains have even worsened conditions for the helpless civilians, leaving them struggling to live in their worn-out tents in displacement camps.

According to local health authorities, at least seven people, including six babies, have frozen to death over the past week in Gaza.

“The harsh winter weather exacerbates the suffering of the displaced, and rainwater soaks their belongings and exposes them to severe cold,” Muhanna said.

Flooding

Muhanna said the massive damage caused by Israeli attacks to the sewage and rainwater drainage networks is further worsening the situation for displaced civilians.

“The Israeli army destroyed about 175,000 linear meters of sewage networks and 15,000 linear meters of rainwater networks amid a blockade on fuel and electricity supplies,” he added.

“This all has caused sewage and rainwater to flood dozens of homes and shelters amid our limited capabilities to deal with the situation because of the lack of equipment and basic materials, and Israel’s refusal to allow access to the necessary equipment and machinery.”

The Palestinian spokesman warned of possible flooding from the Sheikh Radwan rainwater collection site in northern Gaza City.

“This could constitute another humanitarian disaster unless supplies for the restoration of the destroyed pond facilities, including an electric generator, repair of its pumps, and the water drainage line to the sea, are immediately supplied,” he added.

Urgent appeal

The Palestinian spokesman said municipal authorities are working with limited capabilities amid Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

"Gaza needs a real humanitarian stance. The crisis goes beyond temporary solutions and requires an urgent response that guarantees a decent life for the displaced and all residents,” Muhanna said.

He called for an immediate halt to the Israeli war, opening Gaza’s crossings, and access to relief and humanitarian aid as quickly as possible.

On Wednesday, Gaza’s Civil Defense Service said that heavy rains inundated over 1,542 tents housing displaced civilians in the Gaza Strip in the past two days.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, the Israeli army has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed nearly 45,600 victims, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara