Written by Sam Mednick, Tia Goldenberg, Fatma Khaled
JERUSALEM — A girl froze to death overnight in the Gaza Strip, as Israel and Hamas say they are complicating ceasefire efforts that could end a 14-month war.
The three-week-old infant is the third to die from the cold in a tent camp in Gaza in recent days, doctors said. The death toll underscores the dire conditions in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are often crammed into dilapidated tents after fleeing Israeli shelling and attacks.
Israel’s shelling and ground invasion of Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which does not count the number of militants in its tally. No distinction is made between civilians.
1 of 8
expand
The attacks caused widespread destruction and forced about 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people to flee, in some cases multiple times. Hundreds of thousands of people are crammed into tent camps along the coast as a cold, wet winter sets in. Aid groups are struggling to deliver food and supplies, saying they are running out of blankets, warm clothing and wood for firefighting.
Israel has increased aid into the territory, reaching an average of 130 trucks a day so far this month, up from about 70 a day in October and November. Still, the amount is significantly lower than the previous month, with the United Nations saying half of the aid was due to the Israeli military refusing permission to move within the Gaza Strip, illegal activities and rampant theft from trucks. It is said that the above cannot be distributed.
The father of 3-week-old Shira Mahmoud al-Fathy told The Associated Press that he wrapped her in a blanket to keep her warm inside a tent in the Mwasi district on the outskirts of Khan Younis, but it wasn’t enough. Mahmoud al-Fashih said the tent had no wind protection and the ground was cold as temperatures dropped to 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday night. Mwasi is a desolate area of sand dunes and farmland on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.
“The nights were so cold that even we adults couldn’t bear it. We couldn’t stay warm,” he said. Shira woke up crying three times in one night, but in the morning she was found unresponsive and stiff.
“She was like a tree,” Al Faseeha said. They rushed her to a field hospital, where doctors tried to resuscitate her, but her lungs had already deteriorated. An image of Shira taken by the Associated Press showed the girl with purple lips and spots on her pale skin.
Ahmed Al Farah, head of the children’s ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed that the infant died of hypothermia. He said two other infants, one three days old and one one month old, were taken to hospital within the past 48 hours after dying of hypothermia.
Meanwhile, hopes for a ceasefire took on a mixed picture on Wednesday, with Israel and Hamas exchanging accusations of delaying a deal.
In recent weeks, the two countries appeared to be on track to reach an agreement for the return of dozens of hostages held in Gaza, but differences have emerged.
Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that progress is being made toward an agreement, but talks remain at an impasse over issues such as the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, talks said. speak
Hamas on Wednesday accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the return of prisoners of war and displaced persons, which it claimed was delaying the agreement.
The Israeli government accused Hamas of breaking agreements already reached. ” Still, both sides said talks were continuing.
An Israeli negotiating team, including members of the intelligence community and military, returned from Qatar on Tuesday night for domestic talks after a week of what the country called “important negotiations.”
In an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Hamas and other groups took approximately 250 people hostage and took them to Gaza. More than 100 hostages were freed during the last ceasefire in November 2023, and other hostages have been rescued and bodies recovered over the past year.
Israel says it has about 100 hostages remaining in Gaza, and believes at least a third of them were killed in the October 7 attack or died in captivity.
Negotiations have been ongoing sporadically over the past year, but there has been a renewed push toward a deal in recent weeks.
President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated for a second term next month, has demanded the immediate release of the Israeli hostages, warning on social media that if they are not released before his inauguration, “hell awaits.” said. ”
Families of the hostages are increasingly angry and are calling on the Israeli government to call for a ceasefire before President Trump takes office.
After a senior Israeli negotiator team returned from Doha this week, hostage families held an emergency press conference in Tel Aviv, calling for a ceasefire and a complete end to the war.
Seal Siegel, daughter of Israeli-American Keith Siegel, said her mother was released after more than 50 days in captivity. “There are moments when every second is fateful. This is one of those moments,” she said.
Egyptian, Hamas and U.S. officials said the agreement would take effect in stages and includes a cessation of fighting, an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip. The final stage will include the release of remaining hostages, an end to the war, and negotiations on reconstruction.
Mr. Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv and Mr. Khaled from Cairo, Egypt. Melanie Lidman also contributed from Tel Aviv, and Lee Keith also contributed from Cairo.
First published: December 25, 2024 11:18 AM PST
