Tel Aviv [Israel], February 26: At least three Palestinian babies have died of hypothermia during a cold snap in the Gaza Strip, the head of the Asdika al-Marid hospital, Said Saleh, said on Tuesday.
The health authority controlled by the Palestinian group Hamas did not initially comment on the deaths.
A ceasefire has been in place in the Gaza Strip since January 19. But more than 15 months of fighting between the Israeli military and Hamas have left much of the coastal area devastated and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians without homes.
Many are living in tents made of plastic sheeting, which offer little protection from cold weather, storms and rain, according to the United Nations.
Temperatures in the region are currently unusually low, dropping to just a few degrees Celsius above freezing at night. Babies are particularly at risk in such temperatures as they are unable to regulate their body temperature independently.
Israel has said that reconstruction of the Gaza Strip can only begin when all Israeli hostages have been released and Hamas is no longer in power in the territory. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune
