Gaza Strip / PNN /

The Gaza government’s media office announced on Tuesday that the death toll from extreme cold since the start of the winter season has risen to seven.

It added that 24 people have died over the past two days due to collapsing homes and the destruction of nearly 7,000 tents amid harsh weather, which has worsened the plight of displaced residents in the territory.

The director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza warned that the current storm had destroyed most of the tents in the southern and northern areas, raising the risk of further deaths from freezing temperatures and lack of shelter.

He said roughly 300 ambulances remain stalled at the Rafah crossing, while Israeli incursions continue daily in northern Gaza and Gaza City.

The official appealed to the international community to pressure Israel to open crossings and allow aid to enter, issuing an urgent call to international organisations to intervene immediately to protect residents from the effects of the cold and severe weather.

Civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal warned of catastrophic consequences from an approaching polar storm expected to begin Tuesday, which could threaten the lives of some 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, amid ongoing humanitarian hardship and insufficient protection and resources to cope with the freezing conditions.