16 Killed in Gaza as Deadly Winter Storm Wreaks Havoc

At least 16 people died in Gaza over the past 24 hours as winter storm "Byron" battered the territory, including three children who froze to death in makeshift shelters. The deaths highlight the desperate conditions facing displaced Palestinians living in flimsy tents after more than two years of war destroyed most permanent housing.

Heavy rains flooded camps and shelters across Gaza since Wednesday evening, adding to the misery of a population where most have been forced from their homes multiple times. Civil defense officials confirmed that three children died from cold exposure - two in Gaza City and one in Khan Younis.

The victims included nine-year-old Hadeel al-Masri and baby Tim al-Khawaja, who was just months old, both treated at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. In Khan Younis, eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar died at the Mawasi camp, according to Nasser Hospital.

The other 13 deaths came from building collapses as the storm weakened structures already damaged by bombing. Six people died when a house collapsed in Bir al-Naaja in northern Gaza. Two bodies were pulled from rubble in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood. Five others were killed when walls collapsed in three separate incidents.

Civil defense teams responded to calls from 13 homes that collapsed due to heavy rain and strong winds, mostly in Gaza City and the north. With most of Gaza's buildings destroyed or damaged, thousands of plastic tents and basic shelters now dot areas where rubble has been cleared.

The human cost becomes clear in personal accounts from survivors. Um Mohammed Joudeh said her mattress was soaked and her children slept in wet bedding. "We don't have dry clothes to wear," she said.

Seventeen-year-old Saif Ayman, who uses crutches due to a leg injury, described how water flooded his tent. "We don't have blankets in this tent. Six of us sleep on one mattress and cover ourselves with our clothes."

UNICEF spokesman Jonathan Cricks, currently in Gaza, said nighttime temperatures can drop to around 8-9 degrees Celsius (46-48 Fahrenheit). "The rain is heavy, and these families are living in wind-battered tents where barely a piece of plastic cloth protects them."

The storm exposed how vulnerable Gaza's displaced population has become. Samer Morsi, a 22-year-old staying in Deir al-Balah, spent the night holding his tent pole to prevent it from blowing away in strong winds. "We don't know how to deal with these harsh conditions," he said. "We are human beings with feelings, not made of stone."

The deaths underscore the broader humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where basic infrastructure for heating, shelter, and medical care has been largely destroyed. What started as a temporary displacement for many families has stretched into years of living in conditions that become deadly when weather turns harsh.