21 Children Die as Bitter Cold Swarms Gaza

CrossFireArabia
News
January 13, 2026

Deaths caused by extreme cold in the Gaza Strip have risen to 24, including 21 children, since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in October 2023, local authorities said Tuesday.

In a statement, the government media office said seven children have died since the beginning of the current winter season due to severe cold conditions, bringing the total number of cold-related deaths to 24 as of Jan. 13, 2026.

“All the victims were displaced Palestinians living in forced displacement camps,” the statement said.

The media office also reported that around 7,000 tents have been swept away by the ongoing low-pressure weather system battering the enclave.

It warned of “catastrophic humanitarian consequences” as freezing temperatures return to Gaza amid the continued Israeli onslaught and suffocating blockade, which have caused widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure and forced more than 1.5 million Palestinians into displacement camps lacking the most basic living conditions.

The office said the situation poses a serious threat to the lives of the most vulnerable groups, particularly children, citing a near-total absence of heating supplies, lack of safe shelter, and severe shortages of blankets and winter clothing, compounded by ongoing restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid.

It held Israel fully responsible for the deaths, which the statement described as part of a broader policy of “slow killing, starvation, and forced displacement.”

The media office urged the international community, the United Nations, and humanitarian and human rights organizations to take immediate action to establish safe shelters, allow the unrestricted entry of heating and relief supplies, and prevent further loss of life according to Anadolu.

The Israeli army has killed more than 71,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured over 171,000 others in a brutal offensive since October 2023 that left the Gaza Strip in ruins.

Despite a ceasefire that began last Oct. 10, the Israeli army has continued its attacks, killing 447 Palestinians and wounding 1,246 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

News

Israeli Official: ‘Life in The North is Dead’

CrossFireArabia
March 15, 2026

Head of the Israeli Regional Council Moshe Davidovich expressed sorrow over the situation in the north, saying: “It’s a feeling we’ve experienced before, and we wish we could be rid of it.”

In an interview published by Israel’s Channel 14 on Sunday, Davidovich noted that “the residents of the north have been displaced and subjected to relentless shelling for nearly two years.”

Following the increasing number of Israeli soldiers injured in attacks by the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon in response to the aggression, Davidovich called on his government to take action to “minimize casualties.”

He also raised another important point, saying: “Everyone is now embracing the residents of the north and saying they are with us, but at the same time I hear that the government intends to cut the north’s budget.” He asked: “How can this be?” describing the Tel Aviv government’s actions toward its own residents as “neglect.”

Life in the North is Nearly Dead

Davidovich addressed the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying: “People here are unemployed, agriculture is nearly dead, and tourism has come to a standstill,” urging them to take action and not simply ignore the situation.

He criticized his government’s intention to “cut budgets,” saying: “We give generously, but I don’t want to hear that word. It’s inappropriate and incorrect, and ultimately, it represents a law that harms us.”

Regarding the settlers in northern occupied Palestine, Davidovich said it is not right for them to remain there, describing the situation as difficult after two arduous years, adding that a recurring scene is their “descending to shelters.”

Israel Surprised by Hezbollah’s Response

Israeli media outlets report that the “political leaders” in the occupation government are shocked by Hezbollah’s response and feel powerless in the face of it.

Other media outlets report that “living in the north is not easy, and the situation is more complex than it was during the 2023-2024 war,” while Yedioth Ahronoth asserts that Hezbollah is neither disintegrating nor collapsing, and consistently succeeds in maintaining an organized chain of command and control.

The Israeli newspaper Maariv acknowledges that the party “remains alive and active, launching rockets even deep into Israeli territory, and is not firing indiscriminately.”

Channel 12 admits that the Israeli army was surprised by Hezbollah’s attack despite warnings, and that its soldiers’ assessments of the party’s capabilities were incorrect. JO24

News