*Gaza winter...a new battle for survival!!*

Writer: Imad Al-Efrangi

With the onset of winter and raindrops falling on a land that has been exhausted by the Israeli occupation army with genocide for more than three years, concerns of fear and anxiety jump into the heads of the steadfast people of Gaza. What will we do, where will we go, how will we confront, and where is the conscience, humanity and justice?!!

Winter in Gaza represents a harsh test and a renewal of human suffering that the mountains are unable to bear, as the season of goodness and blessing turns into a real battle for survival in light of the conditions of war and continuous displacement, and a worsening catastrophic reality whose main goal was and still is the displacement of the people of Gaza from their land, due to murder, terrorism, siege and the destruction of all elements of life so that Gaza becomes a place unfit to live, and the dreams of Netanyahu and his criminal group come true!!

Winter here means the uprooting and drowning of hundreds of thousands of displaced people’s tents made of cloth and plastic that cannot withstand the strong winds. Rain seeps into them, drowning luggage and simple blankets, and shelter areas and camps turn into pools of mud and mud. In fact, the danger even affects those who are forced to take shelter against the walls of destroyed houses that are ready to collapse at any moment!!

Gaza's winter means extreme cold. There are no heavy winter clothes for the displaced, nor blankets or means of heating. The occupation has cut off electricity supplies and denied fuel to the dearest inhabitants of the earth. You find children, the elderly, and the sick shivering from the cold, and many of them died because of it!!

Winter means an exacerbation of health crises and diseases, as a result of the destruction of infrastructure and sewage networks, which led to rainwater mixing with wastewater in the alleys of the camps, while the cold and extreme humidity cause the spread of infectious, respiratory and skin diseases.And colds, pneumonia, etc., in front of a completely collapsed health sector.

Winter brings more suffering in terms of the hardship of life and securing the family’s livelihood, as the difficulty of obtaining food or clean water increases, due to the difficulty of cooking and lighting a fire to prepare food or even warmth due to humidity, the exhausting search for firewood, and the scarcity of gas supplies, which doubles the daily burden on families, amid a tightening siege and the difficulty of reaching relief aid, which has declined by more than half!!

Add to this the intense psychological pressure and constant feeling of anxiety due to the constant state of anticipation of weather fluctuations and storms, which puts parents under great psychological pressure to protect their children from cold, wetness, and disease.

The international community is facing a new test for the international law that it has established as a constitution for humanity, for the humanitarian values ​​that we have deafened its talk about, and for the path of civilization and human rights that it claims. The world is required to stop collective punishment against more than two million Palestinians, impose commitment to comprehensive ceasefire plans, implement Security Council resolutions, and obligate the occupation to a road map that guarantees a permanent end to the war, the launch of comprehensive reconstruction projects, and the opening of all crossings in a sustainable manner without obstacles.

We do not want action to save the people of Gaza after the collapse of a building, the death of children, or a new disaster. Rather, what is required is immediate, urgent action to dispel people’s fears, by helping them and alleviating their suffering on multiple paths, including financial support, and the introduction of winter relief convoys that include providing temporary housing units instead of worn-out tents, and sending blankets, winter clothing, food parcels, food supplies, fuel, and clean water projects.Medicines, medical supplies, flashlights, batteries, etc., especially in light of a number of international organizations reducing their aid.

I speak with regret about intervening to provide traditional relief, because our nation and the world have proven their inability to silently stop the ongoing genocidal war, and do not want to break the political, military, and economic restrictions on people in Gaza and provide them with effective protection.

What prevents the countries that rose up to stand by the human being in Ukraine, opened dams and borders for him, provided him with security and safety, housing, food, and health care, and imposed regular financial assistance on him, from standing by the oppressed in Gaza? Or is all of this awaiting the approval of the region’s policeman, “Israel”?!!

What is the world waiting for in order to implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice and the United Nations General Assembly, enforce international law and hold accountable those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the occupation in Gaza??

Oh man, as you sit with your family members and drink a cup of tea in a warm family atmosphere, remember that your Palestinian brother is homeless, shivering from the cold, suffering from hunger and thirst, besieged by rain and disease, because winter in Gaza is no longer just a drop in temperature, but has become a direct threat to the most basic components of life and human dignity.