A grandmother and her five-year-old grandson have burned to death in Gaza after their tent caught fire, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis as thousands of Palestinians endure harsh winter conditions in makeshift shelters.
The fire broke out on Thursday night in the Yarmouk area, reportedly caused by cooking. Neighbour Ashraf al-Suwair described waking to screams of 'fire! fire!' and said the nylon tents ignite easily, like fuel. 'We need a good place that suits the people and the children of Gaza, instead of burning to death,' he said.
The fragile 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely halted large-scale Israeli bombardment, but Palestinians continue to be killed by Israeli fire almost daily. Winter rains have caused flooding, turned roads to mud, and collapsed damaged buildings. UNICEF reports at least six children have died from weather-related causes, including hypothermia and building collapses.
Aid groups say insufficient shelter materials are entering Gaza during the truce. Israel's military figures suggest it has not met the ceasefire requirement of 600 aid trucks per day, though Israel disputes this. The recent suspension of over three dozen international aid groups by Israel is expected to further hinder the delivery of supplies like tents. Palestinians have long called for mobile homes and caravans to replace the impractical and worn-out tents.
On Friday, foreign ministers from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab and Muslim nations expressed concern over Gaza's deteriorating humanitarian situation, citing 'the continued lack of sufficient humanitarian access, acute shortages of essential life-saving supplies, and the slow pace of the entry of essential materials.'
Since the ceasefire began, 414 people have been killed and 1,142 wounded in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war stands at least 71,266. The war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.
