Meteorologists warn that temperatures could plummet to near-freezing levels, posing significant risks to vulnerable populations, particularly children, older people, and those lacking adequate shelter.
Strong winds threaten to further damage fragile structures, while heavy rainfall raises the risk of flooding in areas with compromised infrastructure.
A powerful cold front named "Coral" is expected to sweep across the eastern Mediterranean this weekend, bringing freezing temperatures, strong winds, and snowfall to parts of Palestine, Israel, and the wider region, European weather authorities said.
Meteorological services typically name storms that pose potential risks to public safety and require official preparedness.
Originating from the North Pole, the storm is forecast to bring snow to the Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, central mountains, Gaza, and Jerusalem. Israel’s Interior Ministry has urged local authorities to brace for disruptions, warning that heavy snowfall could block roads.
As temperatures plummet, humanitarian groups have raised concerns over the well-being of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, particularly children and the elderly, who lack adequate heating, winter blankets, and other essential supplies.
The storm system is expected to persist from this weekend into early next week.
Deteriorating weather conditions are set to worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis. Severe shortages of essential supplies are affecting thousands of displaced residents, many of whom are living in damaged homes or makeshift shelters.
According to Gaza's Ministry of Public Works and Housing, more than 250,000 homes have been destroyed or severely damaged during 15 months of Israeli bombardment, which has killed over 50,000 Palestinians.
Israel blocks entry of temporary shelters
On 13 February, Israel blocked the entry of caravans and heavy equipment into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.
"There is no entry of caravans (mobile homes) or heavy equipment into the Gaza Strip, and there is no coordination for this," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson, Omer Dostri, wrote on X.
The announcement came as trucks carrying temporary homes and heavy machinery assembled on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing as per the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire deal, brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, took effect on 19 January. It mandates Israel to allow the entry of 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents, along with rubble removal equipment, into Gaza during the initial 42-day phase.
However, only 10 percent of the promised tents have entered, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless as cold weather intensifies.
Gaza's Government Media Office has accused Israel of exacerbating the humanitarian crisis by failing to deliver the "minimum" aid stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, urging mediators to pressure Israel to comply.
Aid groups warn of worsening humanitarian conditions
International aid organizations and officials have raised alarms over the worsening humanitarian situation due to inconsistent aid deliveries blocked by Israeli restrictions.
Shaina Low, a communications adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Palestine, described the dire conditions: "It's not just cold weather, it's been incredibly windy. People living in makeshift shelters, tents, or other structures without insulation or meaningful protection are facing extreme conditions. They're completely exposed to the rain."
Low noted that many families returning to their homes have found their neighbourhoods in ruins, with little to no shelter materials available.
"For months, aid organizations have been warning about the need for increased humanitarian assistance to prepare for winter," she said.
"Tents, blankets, and warm clothing are in dire need. You see children without shoes, everything is needed because so much has been destroyed."
Tess Ingram, a communications manager at UNICEF, said Palestinians in Gaza are ill-equipped to withstand the extreme cold, having lost nearly everything during the war. The situation is hazardous for children, she told Al Jazeera from Gaza City.
At least seven Palestinian infants have died from exposure to the cold since the ceasefire began on 19 January, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), cited by Al Jazeera.
Dr. Ahmad al-Farra, head of the pediatric department at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said the children likely died from "severe hypothermia, leading to the cessation of vital signs, cardiac arrest, and eventually death."
"It is tragically foreseeable that more children's lives will be lost to the inhumane conditions they are enduring, which offer no protection from the cold," UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini posted on X.
Lazzarini added, "blankets, mattresses, and other winter supplies have been stuck in the region for months, waiting for approval to enter Gaza."
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