As the Gaza Strip endures yet another hardship, a brutal wave of severe weather and biting cold has swept across the region since December 11, 2025, leaving devastation in its wake. In less than 24 hours, 13 Palestinians have lost their lives, according to reports from Palestine’s news agency WAFA and corroborated by AFP. The relentless weather has triggered a string of structural collapses, further compounding the suffering of a population already teetering on the edge.
The scenes on the ground are harrowing. Men trudge through muddy alleys in makeshift camps, their faces etched with exhaustion and worry. Many are displaced, seeking whatever shelter they can find as the rain and cold batter the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. The situation is grim, and the numbers tell a stark story.
Among the tragic incidents, one stands out for its sheer scale: six members of a single family perished when their home collapsed in the Bir Al-Na’ja area in northern Gaza Strip. According to civil defense and ambulance sources cited by WAFA, this was just one of several deadly collapses that occurred as homes and buildings, weakened by years of conflict and neglect, gave way under the stress of the weather.
Elsewhere, two more people died when a wall crumbled in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on the evening of December 12. The day before, a similar tragedy struck the Shati refugee camp, where a wall collapse claimed another life. The pattern is chillingly familiar: structures that might withstand ordinary weather are simply no match for the current onslaught.
But it isn’t just the collapses that are taking lives. The extreme cold itself has proven deadly, especially for the most vulnerable. In Khan Younis, a child succumbed to the freezing temperatures. In Gaza City, two more children died as a direct result of the severe cold. These are losses that cut particularly deep in a community where every child is precious and every loss is keenly felt.
Another fatality was reported when a residential building collapsed, with rescue teams still combing through the rubble in hopes of finding survivors. The civil defense teams—stretched thin and working in hazardous conditions—have reported that about 15 houses have collapsed across various neighborhoods, including recent incidents in Al-Karama and Sheikh Radwan. Their efforts are ongoing, but the challenges are immense.
"Civil defense teams indicated that about 15 houses have collapsed so far in various parts of the sector, the latest of which was in the Al-Karama neighborhood and the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood a short time ago, stressing that they are continuing to deal with the effects of the collapses and search for survivors in complex weather conditions," reported WAFA. The urgency in their voices is unmistakable, as is the determination to keep searching, even as the odds grow longer with each passing hour.
The weather itself is unrelenting. Heavy rains have turned roads into rivers of mud, complicating rescue operations and making it nearly impossible for emergency vehicles to reach some of the hardest-hit areas. The cold, meanwhile, seeps into every corner, making even the simplest tasks a struggle. For those living in makeshift shelters or damaged homes, the conditions are nothing short of life-threatening.
Gaza’s infrastructure has long been fragile, battered by years of conflict, blockade, and economic hardship. Many buildings were already in poor repair, and the current weather has exposed just how vulnerable they truly are. According to civil defense sources, the combination of rainwater infiltration, weakened foundations, and substandard construction materials has created a perfect storm for disaster.
The broader context is impossible to ignore. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with over two million residents packed into a narrow coastal enclave. Many live in refugee camps or crowded urban neighborhoods, where even a minor incident can have outsized consequences. In recent years, repeated cycles of violence and blockade have left much of the territory’s infrastructure in ruins, with little opportunity for meaningful reconstruction.
Against this backdrop, the current wave of severe weather feels almost like a cruel twist of fate. For families already struggling to put food on the table and keep their children warm, the added burden of deadly cold and collapsing homes is almost unimaginable. And yet, the people of Gaza persist, drawing on reserves of resilience that have been tested time and again.
Rescue teams, both professional and volunteer, have been working around the clock. Their tasks are daunting: sifting through piles of rubble, navigating flooded streets, and braving the elements in search of survivors. Every successful rescue is a small victory, a testament to the determination and solidarity that binds the community together.
But the toll is heavy, and the needs are urgent. With each passing hour, the risk of further collapses increases, especially as the rain continues to fall and temperatures remain low. Many families have been forced to abandon what little they have left, seeking shelter with relatives or in overcrowded public buildings. For some, there is simply nowhere to go.
The international community has long been aware of Gaza’s precarious situation, but the current crisis serves as a stark reminder of just how quickly things can spiral out of control. Humanitarian organizations are calling for increased support, both to address the immediate needs of those affected by the weather and to help strengthen the territory’s crumbling infrastructure against future shocks.
For now, the focus remains on rescue and recovery. Civil defense teams continue their painstaking work, often in dangerous conditions, hoping against hope for miracles beneath the rubble. The people of Gaza, meanwhile, do what they have always done: endure, adapt, and look out for one another, even in the darkest of times.
As the storm clouds linger over Gaza, the community’s resilience is once again being tested. The losses are profound, but so too is the determination to survive. In the words of one civil defense worker, "We will keep searching, no matter how hard it gets." Their resolve, and that of the people they serve, remains unbroken—proof that even in the face of overwhelming adversity, hope endures.