The baby has died from severe hypothermia in the Gaza Strip, marking the first cold-related death recorded this winter, as hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians face worsening humanitarian conditions amid flooding, inadequate shelter and continued Israeli restrictions on essential supplies, the Health Ministry said Friday.
The ministry identified the infant as Kinan Ahmed Arqiq, saying he died after suffering a sharp drop in body temperature.
According to the ministry, the baby was transferred from the Kuwaiti Hospital to Nasser Medical Complex on Thursday but arrived dead.
A forensic examination confirmed that severe hypothermia caused his death.
The ministry also reported that 10 people died from cold exposure in Gaza during the 2025 winter season, highlighting the recurring threat posed by harsh winter conditions to Palestinians living in displacement camps and makeshift shelters.
The latest death comes as heavy rainfall and flooding further deteriorate living conditions across the besieged territory, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain without adequate protection from the cold.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), heavy rainfall between Nov. 6 and 8 triggered widespread flooding across Gaza, damaging thousands of tents and makeshift shelters.
The agency said approximately 1.4 million people, accounting for 65% of Gaza's population, are living in tents or temporary shelters.
These conditions have left displaced families particularly vulnerable to falling temperatures, flooding and the destruction of their already inadequate living spaces.
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by the destruction caused by Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has devastated large parts of the territory and forced countless Palestinians from their homes.