At least five Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Tuesday after a severe winter storm caused the collapse of walls and structures weakened by Israeli attacks. Local health officials said the fatalities occurred as high winds and heavy rain battered makeshift shelters and damaged buildings across the enclave.

The storm struck a population already living in precarious conditions after more than two years of Israeli bombardment and prolonged aid shortages. Most residents have been displaced at least once, with large numbers living in tents or temporary shelters constructed amid rubble. Aid groups say these structures offer little protection against winter weather, especially during storms.

“Death in All Its Forms”

Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said those killed during Tuesday’s storm included two women, a man and a young girl. Three of the victims belonged to the same family: 72-year-old Mohamed Hamouda, his 15-year-old granddaughter, and his daughter-in-law. They were killed when an eight-meter-high wall collapsed onto their tent in a coastal area along the Mediterranean shore. At least five other people were injured.

Relatives spent Tuesday removing rubble and rebuilding tents for surviving family members. “The world has allowed us to witness death in all its forms,” Bassel Hamouda told the Associated Press after the funeral. “It’s true the bombing may have temporarily stopped, but we have witnessed every conceivable cause of death in the world in the Gaza Strip.”

A second woman was killed when a wall collapsed onto her tent in western Gaza City, hospital officials said.

Hypothermia Deaths Rise

Health authorities also reported multiple deaths linked directly to extreme cold. Gaza’s Health Ministry said a one-year-old boy died of hypothermia overnight. Two other children died on Monday night due to freezing temperatures and inadequate shelter, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

Civil defence officials said hospitals across Gaza were seeing a surge in patients, particularly children, suffering from cold-related illnesses. They said hundreds of calls for assistance were received as shelters were damaged or destroyed by the storm.

The United Nations humanitarian office reported that hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters were blown away or severely damaged on Tuesday, further reducing already limited shelter capacity.

Aid Blockages and Exposure

Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal warned of “catastrophic repercussions” as the majority of Gaza’s population remains without adequate shelter. Rescue workers routinely advise residents not to take refuge in damaged buildings due to the risk of collapse, leaving families with few safe options during storms.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it has been distributing tents, tarps, blankets, clothing, nutrition and hygiene supplies across Gaza. Aid groups, however, say that shelter materials and critical supplies are entering the enclave in insufficient quantities.

Israel continues to block key humanitarian and shelter supplies from entering Gaza, in violation of the ceasefire, according to aid agencies and Palestinian officials. Hamas said the failure of the international community to provide relief showed Gaza was experiencing “the most horrific form of genocide.”

Meanwhile, UNICEF said that more than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began. “That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire,” spokesperson James Elder said, adding that six children have died of hypothermia during the current winter.

The deaths underscore the scale of humanitarian risk that continues to define daily life in Gaza despite the volatile ceasefire. Civilians remain helpless against lethal secondary effects of the war such as structural collapse, hypothermia, and preventable illness. Aid agencies warn that without sustained access for shelter materials, fuel, and medical supplies, civilian vulnerability, particularly for children, the elderly, and those displaced will continue ravaging a popilation already damaged by war.