• Six newborns, including twins Jumaa and Ali al-Batran, died from hypothermia amid Gaza’s freezing temperatures and ongoing blockade.
• Families lack heating and blankets, as hypothermia cases surge among infants, with doctors treating multiple cases daily.
As the bitter cold tightens its grip on Gaza, families like the al-Batrans face unimaginable hardship, struggling to keep their children alive amid relentless adversity. The cries of newborns silenced by the cold serve as a haunting reminder of the human toll of displacement. Yet, amidst the devastation, their stories highlight profound resilience and an enduring hope for justice and relief.
Twenty-day-old Jumaa al-Batran became the fifth infant to succumb to hypothermia in just six days. His twin brother, Ali, initially remained in intensive care at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, fighting for his life. Tragically, the following day, Ali also succumbed to hypothermia, becoming the sixth infant to die from the cold in Gaza within a week. Alongside them, other victims of the freezing temperatures include 21-day-old Aisha al-Qassas, 23-day-old Ali Essam Saqr, 4-day-old Ali Hussam Azzam, and 14-day-old Sila Mahmoud al-Fassih. This tragedy unfolds in the backdrop of an ongoing Israeli blockade, relentless bombings, and an energy blackout that has plunged the besieged enclave into a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Born prematurely at eight months, the al-Batran twins had been discharged early from the hospital’s incubator due to limited medical resources. Their family, displaced multiple times by Israeli airstrikes, now lives in a makeshift tent in Deir al-Balah, patched together with scraps of fabric. Without adequate insulation, temperatures in their shelter often plummet below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) at night.
“We are eight people with only four blankets,” their father, Yahya al-Batran, lamented as he cradled Jumaa’s lifeless body. “There is no electricity, no heating, no gas—just cold and hunger. My children are dying in front of my eyes, and nobody cares.”
Yahya described the harrowing moment he realized Jumaa had died: “I woke up to find his head cold as ice. He was pale and lifeless.” The following day, Ali’s fragile condition worsened, and he too passed away. Yahya’s grief deepened as he reflected on his inability to keep his children warm: “I couldn’t even afford 4 meters of nylon to insulate my babies. I swear to God, I covered them with my only blanket and froze myself just to keep them warm.”
The lack of basic necessities in Gaza has exacerbated the already dire situation for families. Nearly 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced, many forced into overcrowded, unsanitary conditions near the southern coast. In these “humanitarian zones,” tents offer little protection against the biting winter winds, and the most vulnerable—newborns and the elderly—face the gravest risks.
Health officials and humanitarian organizations have sounded the alarm over the increasing cases of hypothermia among children. Dr. Ahmed Alfarra from Al-Tahreer Maternity Hospital in Khan Younis reported treating an average of five to six hypothermic infants daily. “The situation is miserable,” he said. “These deaths are preventable if basic heating and nutrition were available.”
The plight of the al-Batran family is shared by many others. Parents resort to desperate measures to keep their children alive. Hamed Ahmed, a father of three, pricks his newborn’s feet with a pin during the night to ensure she can still feel it.
“My wife and I take turns staying awake, checking to see if our 22-day-old daughter is warm. We are terrified she will freeze to death.”
Since the genocide began in October 2023, Gaza has endured severe shortages of fuel, electricity, and essential supplies. Israel’s bombardments have destroyed critical infrastructure, leaving hospitals overwhelmed and unable to meet the needs of the displaced population. The blockade has also restricted the entry of winter clothing and blankets, with limited aid supplies arriving at inflated prices.
Dr. Hani al-Faleet, a pediatric specialist at Nasser Hospital, highlighted the avoidable nature of these tragedies: “Children are dying from the cold because there is no proper heating or clothing. It’s heartbreaking to know their lives could be saved with basic resources.”
The UN Population Fund has warned that more than 525,000 women in Gaza have lost access to prenatal and postnatal care, exacerbating risks for newborns. Among them, over 17,000 pregnant women face starvation, with many suffering from severe malnutrition.
Jumaa’s death is a microcosm of Gaza’s broader humanitarian catastrophe. Yahya named his twins after family members recently killed in Israeli airstrikes—Jumaa after his brother and Ali after his nephew. The family fled northern Gaza to escape the violence, only to find more hardship in the south.
After Jumaa’s death, Yahya rushed his son’s lifeless body to the hospital, hoping for a miracle. But the doctor could only offer condolences: “May God grant you patience; he’s gone.” When Ali passed the next day, Yahya’s despair deepened further as he grappled with the impossibility of protecting his children from the relentless cold.
“I couldn’t even afford 4 meters of nylon to insulate my babies,” Yahya said, tears welling in his eyes. “I swear to God, I covered them with my only blanket and froze myself just to keep them warm.”
As temperatures drop further, the fear of losing more lives looms large over Gaza. Parents like Yahya continue to plead for help, their voices echoing the despair of a population left to endure the unendurable.
Amidst this man-made disaster, there is an enduring reminder that hardship is not without purpose or relief. The Quran states:
“Indeed, with hardship comes ease” (Surah Ash-Sharh, 94:6)
….offering reassurance that even the darkest moments are followed by eventual relief. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said:
"No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that" (Sahih al-Bukhari 5641; Sahih Muslim 2573).
Such reminders emphasize that even the smallest discomfort carries meaning and serves as a form of purification.
The phrase “la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah”—”There is no power nor strength except through Allah”—offers comfort and strength to believers. It emphazises the ultimate reliance on the Creator, who remains sufficient as a guardian and disposer of affairs, as the Quran reminds us:
“And sufficient is Allah as a disposer of affairs” (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:48).
To those committing these atrocities, there is a stern reminder of divine accountability. The Quran warns:
"Do not think that Allah is unaware of what the wrongdoers do. He only delays them for a Day when eyes will stare [in horror]" (Surah Ibrahim, 14:42).
Justice will be restored, for Allah is the ultimate Judge, and no act of oppression escapes His knowledge. As history and faith teach, the oppressors will face the consequences of their actions, and the oppressed will see their rights restored.
