At a Glance
- Grandmother and 5-year-old grandson burned to death when a tent in Gaza’s Yarmouk caught fire during cooking.
- Cold winter rains have turned Gaza’s dirt roads into mud, flooding tent cities and causing building collapses.
- Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing, urging sustained aid flow and a lasting ceasefire.
- Why it matters: The incident underscores the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza amid ongoing conflict and severe weather.
Grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson died when a nylon tent in Yarmouk City caught fire, a disaster that highlights the dire conditions faced by Palestinians during the 12-week truce that has largely halted large-scale bombardment but left many still vulnerable.
Tent Fire Tragedy
The tent, used by families living in makeshift housing, ignited while a meal was being prepared, according to a neighbor. The blaze claimed the lives of the grandmother and her 5-year-old grandson. A hospital official also reported two Palestinian men killed by Israeli gunfire in the Khan Younis area that same Friday.
- Grandmother and grandson perished in the fire.
- Two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli gunfire in Khan Younis.
- The incident occurred during the 12-week truce.
Winter Weather Hits Gaza
Re-peated cold rains have battered Gaza’s tent cities, flooding the area, turning roads into mud and causing damaged buildings to collapse. Aid groups say insufficient shelter materials are arriving during the truce, with Israel’s military claiming it has not met the ceasefire’s 600-truck-per-day aid allowance, a claim Israel disputes. The World Food Programme notes notable improvements in food security since the ceasefire began.
- Flooding and mud roads.
- Insufficient shelter materials.
- WFP reports improvements in food security.
Angelina Jolie Visits Rafah
Jolie met members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing and visited a hospital in Arish to speak with Palestinian patients. She urged that the ceasefire hold and that access be sustained, safe and urgently scaled up so that aid, fuel and critical medical supplies can move quickly and consistently, at the volume required.
Angelina Jolie said:
> “What needs to happen is clear: the ceasefire must hold, and access must be sustained, safe and urgently scaled up so that aid, fuel and critical medical supplies can move quickly and consistently, at the volume required,”
The reopening of the crossing remains contentious, with Israel allowing exit only if hostages are returned, while Egypt wants immediate bi-directional opening.
Conflict and Casualties
The death toll from the war stands at 71,271 according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, with no distinction between militants and civilians. On Friday, Israeli troops killed a person who crossed the Yellow Line and approached them, posing an immediate threat, according to the military.
Israeli military said:
> “crossed the Yellow Line and approached the troops, posing an immediate threat to them,”
In the West Bank, Israel conducted raids in Ramallah and Hebron, detaining nearly 50 people and arresting 50 others, mostly in Ramallah. The Palestinian Prisoners Society reports 7,000 arrests in the West Bank and Jerusalem this year, 21,000 since the war began.
Israeli military said:
> “involved in terrorist activity”
Key Takeaways
- Grandmother and grandson died in a tent fire amid worsening cold weather.
- Aid shortages and insufficient shelter materials worsen the humanitarian crisis.
- The conflict continues with ongoing casualties and contested border crossings.
The tragedy highlights the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, underscoring the need for sustained aid and a lasting ceasefire.
