Statement of Condemnation Regarding the Death of Infants and the Rising Death Toll from the Bitter Cold in the Gaza Strip as a Result of the Siege and Aggression
Statement of Condemnation Regarding the Death of Infants and the Rising Death Toll from the Bitter Cold in the Gaza Strip as a Result of the Siege and Aggression
The Entesaf Organization for the Protection of Women and Children’s Rights expresses its strongest condemnation of the escalating humanitarian tragedy in the Gaza Strip, which has led to the death of an infant due to the bitter cold, bringing the total number of deaths from the recent storm to 13. These deaths are not solely a result of weather conditions, but a direct consequence of the unjust siege and ongoing aggression that have deprived thousands of families of their right to shelter, warmth, and a dignified life.
The Entesaf Organization affirms that what is happening constitutes a fully-fledged crime that violates international laws and conventions, most notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which obligates states to protect the child’s right to life (Article 6) and to provide adequate healthcare and a suitable living environment (Articles 24 and 27). The freezing deaths of children constitute a flagrant violation of this international covenant and also a violation of international humanitarian law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, which obligates occupying powers and warring parties to protect civilians and ensure their basic needs for food, shelter, and clothing. It also criminalizes the policies of starvation and siege that lead to silent death. Furthermore, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights stipulates the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and the right to housing and heating.
The Entisaf Organization considers the silence of the international community and UN organizations regarding this catastrophe to be complicity, effectively giving a green light to the continued suffering of women and children. The inability of infants to withstand the freezing temperatures in tents that offer no protection from heat or cold, amidst power outages and the prevention of fuel and winter supplies from entering the country, constitutes a crime against humanity that demands accountability.
The organization demands the immediate and unconditional opening of humanitarian corridors to allow the entry of urgent relief aid, including heating equipment, winter clothing, and fuel for hospitals and shelters.
The organization calls upon international organizations operating in the Gaza Strip to assume their direct responsibilities in protecting Gaza’s children from freezing to death and to provide urgent support to the maternal and child health sector.
The organization also demands the formation of an international commission of inquiry into the repercussions of the siege on the lives of civilians and calls for serious efforts to end this humanitarian suffering, which has crossed all red lines.
Issued by the Entesaf Organization for the Protection of Women’s and Children’s Rights
December 18, 2025