Hamas-run health ministry says month-old baby in Gaza died from cold exposure

A month-old baby boy died in Gaza as a result of cold exposure, the Hamas-run health ministry says in a daily report.

The child’s name is given as Saeed Abdeen. Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital announced his death this morning, adding that his family resides in the nearby Mawasi displaced persons camp.

At least four children have died as a result of cold exposure this winter, according to the ministry, which also says at least nine other people have been killed by the collapse of bombed-out buildings under heavy rainfall.

The UN reported in October that over half of Gaza’s structures were destroyed in the war between the Hamas terror group and Israel, and that roughly 40 percent of the remaining structures are severely or moderately damaged.

The UN has said that hundreds of thousands of displaced Gazans face the risk of their tents and shelters flooding in heavy rains, and that sufficient materials for shelters and sandbags are not being allowed to enter the enclave.

COGAT, the Defense Ministry body that facilitates the aid, has denied the allegations, saying it has let in hundreds of thousands of tents and tarpaulins and is waiting for international organizations to let in close to 100,000 pallets of “water-related items.”