News - Middle East: The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate sharply, with essential services in collapse, ongoing Israeli enemy strikes, and a severe winter storm exacerbating the plight of displaced families, according to Palestinian sources and local authorities.

Despite the ceasefire, reports from Gaza indicate continued Israeli ceasefire violations. Palestinian sources said that Israeli forces intensified artillery shelling and conducted a series of airstrikes across various areas of the Strip. Specific incidents reported include artillery fire targeting eastern Gaza City, an airstrike east of Khan Younis in the south, and another airstrike near the eastern cemetery of the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Casualties were also reported from shelling in the Al-Faluja area of Jabalia in northern Gaza.

The northern part of the territory is described as a "disaster area," facing a particularly acute breakdown in basic services.

The already dire conditions have been severely worsened by a powerful low-pressure system bringing strong winds and heavy rains to the region. The storm has flooded numerous displacement tents and caused others to be blown away, forcing families, including children, to remain in the open under cold and wet conditions. Attempts to secure the tents have largely failed amidst the severe weather.

A fragile ceasefire remains in effect in the Gaza Strip, following a period of Israel genocidal war. However, implementation has been fraught with challenges, with repeated reports of Israeli strikes and severe restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, including fuel, water, and construction materials. The onset of winter weather has compounded the suffering of a displaced population largely living in makeshift shelters.

Many families have been confined to tents since late 2023, enduring months of exposure as Israel’s genocidal war has devastated homes and infrastructure across Gaza.

At least 15 people, including three children, have died from hypothermia so far this month amid heavy rains, collapsing structures, and freezing temperatures, Gaza authorities said.

Since launching its genocidal assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000, most of them women and children.