The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) emphasizes that the forced displacement of Gaza Strip’s residents, including women, and their subsequent deprivation of shelter, clothing, food, and healthcare, amounts to genocidal acts. PCHR also highlights that winter’s hellish conditions exacerbate the violence and suffering experienced by women, who have endured unprecedented challenges and hardships since the onset of the ongoing Israeli aggression.
The ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip has forcibly displaced over 2 million people, representing—nearly 90% of the population—forcing families to endure a harsh winter amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Last winter, despite the direcircumstances, some buildings were repurposed as shelters for displaced people, with many others seeking refuge in the homes of relatives, schools, hospitals, and public buildings.
Today, after 15 months of the ongoing Israeli aggression and the widespread destruction of residential areas, including Khan Yunis, Rafah, and North Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians continue to endure worsening conditions. Many are living without shelter, while others have been forced to set up makeshift tents using simple and scarce materials, such as nylon sheets, scrap fabrics, and wooden beams. Unfortunately, these primitive tents offer no protection from the fierce winds, heavy rains, and freezing cold, especially amid the biting winter temperatures that have dropped to 6°C.
In addition to the continued shelling, which extends even to areas classified as “safe,” including displacement camps, the displaced populations are suffering from a severe lack of basic necessities such as water, food, and adequate shelter. This situation poses increasing risks to their lives. These risks range from the spread of infectious diseases that exacerbate their humanitarian crises to the imminent threat of death. This winter alone has resulted in the death of eight individuals, the majority of whom are children.1
Deterioration of Infrastructure and Healthcare System and Exacerbation of Humanitarian Crisis
The Gaza Strip has been rendered incapable of managing its sewage due to the systematic destruction of infrastructure, power outages, and severe fuel shortages caused by the ongoing Israeli siege and aggression.. As a result, raw sewage flows through the streets and displacement camps during rainfall, contaminating water sources that the population depends on for drinking and daily use. This dire situation is compounded by widespread malnutrition and overcrowding, as countless Gazans have been forcibly displaced and lost their homes. These conditions significantly heighten the risk of infectious diseases spreading throughout the population.
In addition, families in Gaza that once relied on electricity, gas, or fuel to heat their homes are now forced to resort to primitive means, such as burning wood, due to the power outages and fuel shortages exacerbated by the Israeli blockade. This not only offers inadequate warmth but also poses serious safety risks, further endangering the lives of displaced people.
The Gaza healthcare system, already under immense strain, is now on the brink of collapse after numerous hospitals were targeted during the military aggression. Of the 38 governmental and non-governmental hospitals in Gaza, 23 have been rendered inoperative, leaving only 17 partially functional. In addition, 80 out of 90 healthcare centers2 have ceased operations, crippling the ability to provide essential medical care to the population.
These interconnected crises—spanning from sanitation and healthcare to food insecurity and safety—are deepening the suffering of Gaza’s residents. They are exacerbated by the ongoing military aggression and the failure to uphold the rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which calls for an immediate and effective ceasefire. Without urgent intervention, these crises threaten to claim even more lives and further devastate Gaza’s already fragile infrastructure.
Shortage of Blankets and Winter Clothing amid the Tightened Israeli Blockade and the Lack of Income Sources:
Residents of the Gaza Strip are enduring the brutal cold of winter under horrific conditions. The ongoing Israeli siege, which coincides with the relentless Israeli aggression, has made access to basic supplies such as blankets and warm clothing nearly impossible. The scarcity of these essential items is a direct result of Israeli-imposed restrictions on imports, the blocking of humanitarian aid trucks, repeated displacements, and the loss of belongings by displaced people. When such supplies do become available, they are priced exorbitantly— for example, a single blanket can cost over $50, an amount far beyond the reach of displaced families with no source of income.
As for international aid, while winter supplies like sealing-off kits, tents, and bedding kits are ready and waiting in warehouses and at entry points, severe Israeli access restrictions prevent them from reaching those in need. This leaves the humanitarian response to the growing crisis ineffective, worsening the suffering of Gaza’s displaced population.
Winter as an Additional Burden on Gaza’s Women
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) continues its daily fieldwork in displacement camps across Gaza, closely monitoring and documenting the suffering of women. PCHR’s reports highlight the compounded and harsh challenges that displaced women face in the inhuman winter conditions. Alongside the physical burdens of survival, the psychological stress these women endure has intensified, further complicating their already difficult lives.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are especially vulnerable to the cold, with the lack of safe heating methods exacerbating their risk of illness. Additionally, older women and those with chronic health conditions face even greater risks as they contend with deteriorating health due to shortages of essential medicines and the skyrocketing prices resulting from the Israeli blockade.
These intertwined challenges—physical, psychological, and health-related—are making it nearly impossible for displaced women to maintain any semblance of dignity or safety. The harsh winter is but one more layer of suffering that further isolates Gaza’s most vulnerable population, deepening their hardships in the face of ongoing violence and deprivation.
Najah Ibrahim (62), a widow and mother of 6 children, said to PCHR’s staff:
“I suffered a stroke that affected my hand and left leg, and a platinum plate was implanted in my body, restricting my movement. Additionally, I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and have not received treatment for a year due to the war. On 10 November 2024, the IOF forced me and my children to evacuate our home in Beit Lahia at gunpoint, not allowing us to take our belongings. I left my home in a broken wheelchair and faced many hardships along the way until we reached a displacement camp established in Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza City, where we had to set up a small nylon tent. Last winter, I was still in my warm and comfortable home, but now I live with 20 other individuals in a worn-out tent that offers no protection from the biting cold or heavy rain. I suffer greatly from the cold, as the platinum plate increases my pain, and my weakened immune system as a cancer patient makes me overexposed to colds. Additionally, there are no free or affordable medications as there were before. These hellish conditions are putting my life at risk.” 3
On the other hand, caring for family members, including the elderly and children, is one of the traditional roles that women are expected to play. These roles are a heavy burden on women’s shoulders, especially under the current difficult circumstances. Women feel helpless as they watch their children struggle against the biting cold without adequate heating methods, driving them to exert all their efforts to protect their children and keep them warm. Mothers make their children their top priority, giving them their warm clothes and blankets, while they face the cold weather with their weary bodies and heavy hearts.
In this context, Fatmah Farraj (29), a mother of two children, said: “This is the second winter I have spent in tents. I remember my suffering from last winter and compare it to the time when we were in our home, where we felt comfortable and warm. Now, every moment, I try to keep my children warm at night. We share the blankets and mattresses, and at the same time, I fear for my children’s lives, especially after many children have died from the bitter cold. I always prioritize them with the available blankets, as we can’t buy more due to their high prices, costing over $50. This amount of money is no longer easy to earn, especially after my husband and I lost our livelihood. My children shiver from the cold, and I try to keep them as warm as I can. I know well that if they get sick, we won’t find any medicine, even though they constantly suffer from the cold. I feel that if we survive the bombing, we will die from fear and cold. Our suffering is indiscernible” 4
Furthermore, caring for the elderly and sick family members drains women’s energy even more, especially in light of the deterioration of their health conditions and lack of logistical support.
‘Abeer Mohammed ‘Adwan, a mother of five children, said: “We were at Halab School in Beit Hanoun. On 10 November 2024, Israeli tanks besieged the school and forced us to leave. At that time, we had no choice but to leave our belongings behind because of the difficulties and fear we might face on our way, as Israeli tanks were chasing us.. After we lost everything, we sought refuge in Yarmouk Stadium, where the displacement camp’s administration provided us with a simple tent made of tarpaulins and wood beams. Currently, my family, my father-in-law (73), and my mother-in-law (68), who have chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, and need special care, live together in the same tent. I take care of them amid the harsh conditions, increasing my burden. We all suffer from the biting cold. My father-in-law is overexposed to colds and coughs. We had no electricity or heating methods. Everyday, I wash our clothes by hand and cook over an open fire. One-night, heavy rain tore apart our tent, flooding it with water and soaking our clothes, mattresses, and blankets. My children and I caught the flu and had stomach aches, while my father-in-law’s condition worsened due to the extreme cold. We are unable to buy medications because of their high prices, and sometimes they are simply unavailable. My children have no proper clothes to protect them from the cold, and my father-in-law’s health continues to deteriorate. The sense of helplessness is overwhelming, and I endure indescribable suffering.” 5
With the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip and the catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation, obtaining hot water has become nearly impossible, exacerbating the suffering of families in general and women in particular. Women are forced to use cold water to carry out household chores such as washing dishes and clothes, which adds extra burden to their daily lives. However, this suffering is not limited to household chores; it extends to women’s personal hygiene, which becomes more difficult and painful when using cold water. Additionally, caring for children and elderly’s hygiene that requires extra effort, especially in the cold weather and the lack of adequate heating methods, increases the burden.
Nour ‘Abed al-Latif (35), a mother of three children, stated: “I was able to endure the horrors of war, but the cold in the tent has defeated and broken me. I feel severe pain in my bones from the bitter cold, and the tent can’t protect us from this harsh weather. Whenever I shower, I cry because the cold seeps into my bones. The period in this biting cold has become an unbearable nightmare, intensifying both physical and psychological pain. Another hardship we face is washing dishes and clothes by hand using cold water; at that point, I feel like I’ve lost sensation in my limbs. As for my children, their suffering tears my heart apart. I spend the long winter nights awake, checking that they are warm and breathing well. I feel like my heart will stop from the cold—so how are they? I am always suffering from the flu, cold, and sore throat, with almost no access to basic medicines. When available, they are too expensive. Winter here is not just a cold season; it’s a daily battle for survival.”6
In light of this human suffering, especially for women, PCHR:
