Palestinians endure hunger, cold and loss amid ongoing siege on Gaza - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum. Even after the ceasefire began, strikes and tight limits on aid are leaving people in Gaza barely getting by.
Since the US-brokered truce took effect last month, Israel’s attacks have continued across Gaza, and Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports at least 236 Palestinians killed and more than 600 wounded. In the last day, hospitals said three more people died and three bodies were pulled from under collapsed buildings, and another person died from earlier injuries.
One of the recent victims was killed by a drone strike in Shujayea in northern Gaza. The Israeli military said he had crossed the “yellow line” marking the ceasefire boundary and moved toward troops, calling it an immediate threat - a claim offered without evidence.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says that since the truce began, about 500 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble of homes and buildings - victims of the ongoing bombardment that has left much of the enclave in ruins.
On another note, Israeli officials said three bodies of Israeli captives were returned via the Red Cross. Under the ceasefire terms, Israel is to return the bodies of 45 Palestinian prisoners in exchange, at a rate tied to each Israeli returned.
Tensions rose after US Central Command accused Hamas of looting an aid truck in Khan Younis and released drone footage they said showed “suspected” elements taking supplies. Gaza’s Government Media Office strongly rejected the claim, calling it fabricated and part of a disinformation campaign to smear Palestinian police, and said their forces are working to secure aid convoys despite continued interference.
Hospitals in Gaza remain overwhelmed after months of war and blockade. The WHO says more than 16,500 patients who need specialised care are still trapped inside. UN updates show Egypt has taken nearly 4,000 evacuees for medical care, the UAE 1,450, Qatar 970, and Türkiye 437. Italy treated 201 patients - the most in Europe - but thousands more, including some 3,800 children, are still waiting for medical evacuation.
A study published in The Lancet highlighted the human cost, estimating Gaza lost more than three million years of life since the conflict began in October 2023. Researchers analysed over 60,000 recorded deaths and calculated an average of 51 years of life lost per death, with children under 15 accounting for more than a million of those life-years. The authors said their figures are conservative and don’t fully capture deaths from starvation, lack of medicine, or infrastructure collapse under the siege.
With winter coming, displaced families are trying to rebuild shelter but face severe restrictions on building materials. In Gaza City, a father of five, Khalid al-Dahdouh, told reporters he used salvaged bricks and traditional mud methods to make a small shelter because there’s no cement or tents available.
“We tried to rebuild because winter is coming,” he said. “We managed to lay just a few rows of bricks - we don’t have tents or anything else. So, we built a primitive structure out of mud since there’s no cement. It protects us from the cold, insects, and rain - unlike the tents. We’re just trying to survive the cold and the hunger. Ceasefire or not, Gaza is still under attack.”
A relative, Saif al-Bayek, said he ran out of usable materials before finishing his shelter. “The whole neighbourhood is in ruins,” he said. “We made the shelter out of mud using traditional methods, using whatever stones we could salvage. The structure is uneven and the roof has gaps - if it rains heavily, water will come through.”
UN and aid officials warn rebuilding is extremely difficult and hundreds of thousands remain displaced, making the coming months especially dangerous as temperatures fall.
While large-scale bombardments have eased, many Palestinians in Gaza say their suffering continues through hunger, lack of homes, and the constant fear that the violence could flare again. May Allah ease their hardship and grant safety to the innocent.
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