At least three people died in Gaza on Monday after buildings previously damaged by Israeli attacks collapsed due to strong winds and rain, the enclave's civil defence said.
"Since this evening, we have recorded three deaths as a result of partial collapses of dilapidated buildings, due to the low-pressure [weather] system currently hitting the Gaza Strip," civil defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said.
About 80 per cent of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged by the war, figures compiled by the UN show.
The severe weather is putting thousands of Palestinians in imminent danger and forcing families to make a hard choice: remain in walled homes that could fall on them at any moment, or seek refuge in tents that offer little protection from the cold.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Monday that a seven-day-old baby girl and a boy aged four died of cold, raising the number of weather-related deaths among children to six this winter.
"We reiterate that the situation is extremely dangerous, and buildings are no longer safe havens for residents amid the ongoing rain and wind," Mr Bassal said.
He called on international organisations and the international community to act swiftly to provide support and protection to the affected civilians.
The UN agency for Palestinians refugees earlier said the harsh weather had worsened the suffering of Gazans.
"People in Gaza are surviving in flimsy, waterlogged tents and among ruins," Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA chief, wrote on X.
The UN said on Monday at least 1.1 million people still urgently need assistance amid the severe conditions.
"A new storm on Friday once again battered makeshift tents, leaving thousands without protection," it said. "UN teams and partners are conducting assessments and supporting the most vulnerable, but aid workers stress that tents are only a temporary measure."
A storm last month caused 17 buildings to collapse. About 42,000 tents and makeshift shelters were also damaged or destroyed, the UN's humanitarian office said on December 18.
At least 442 people have been killed and 1,240 wounded in Gaza since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on October 10, the Health Ministry says. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war has exceeded 71,400.
