Baby dies of cold exposure overnight in Gaza as Israel and Hamas trade accusations of cease-fire delays

JERUSALEM —  A baby girl died of hypothermia overnight Wednesday in Gaza, while Israel and Hamas accused each other of complicating cease-fire efforts that could wind down the 14-month war.

The father of 3-week-old Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh said he had wrapped her in a blanket to try and keep her warm in their tent in Muwasi, a desolate area of dunes and farmland on Gaza’s Mediterranean coast.

“It was very cold overnight and as adults we couldn’t even take it,” Mahmoud al-Faseeh said. “We couldn’t stay warm.”

Sila woke up crying three times overnight, but by the morning she was unresponsive, her body “like wood,” he said.

She was rushed to a field hospital, but it was too late. Ahmed al-Farra, director of the children’s ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, said that the baby died of hypothermia.

He said two other babies — one 3 days old, the other a month old — had also been brought to the hospital in the last 48 hours after dying of hypothermia. The deaths underscore the squalid conditions that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crammed into often ramshackle tents find themselves in after fleeing Israeli bombardment and offensives.

Although Israel and Hamas have expressed optimism that progress was being made toward a cease-fire, sticking points remain over the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, people involved in the talks say.

On Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from Gaza, the prisoners and the return of displaced people, stipulations it said were delaying the deal.

Israel’s government accused Hamas of reneging on understandings that have already been reached. Still, both sides said discussions are ongoing.

Israel’s negotiating team, which includes members from its intelligence agencies and the military, returned from Qatar on Tuesday evening for internal consultations, following a week of what it called “significant negotiations.”

During its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, Hamas and other groups killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 people hostage, bringing them to Gaza. A previous truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the last year.

Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Gaza — at least a third of whom it believes were killed during the Oct. 7 attack or died in captivity.

Sporadic talks have taken place for a year, but in recent weeks there’s been a renewed push to reach a deal.

President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office next month for his second term, has demanded the immediate release of Israeli hostages, saying on social media that if they’re not freed before he is sworn in, there will be “HELL TO PAY.”

After Israel’s high-level negotiation team returned from Doha, Qatar, this week, hostage families called an emergency press conference in Tel Aviv, pleading for a cease-fire and a complete end to the war.

Shir Siegel, the daughter of Israeli American Keith Siegel, whose mother was released after more than 50 days in captivity, said every delay could endanger their lives. “There are moments when every second is fateful, and this is one of those moments,” she said.

The families are planning a special candle-lighting ceremony in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, marking the first night of Hanukkah.

The agreement would take effect in phases and include a halt in fighting, an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a surge in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian, Hamas and American officials. The last phase would include the release of any remaining hostages, an end to the war and talks on reconstruction.

Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion into Gaza have killed over 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count.

The offensive has caused widespread destruction and displaced some 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are packed into squalid tent camps along the coast as the cold, wet winter sets in. Aid groups have struggled to deliver food and supplies and say there are shortages of blankets, warm clothing and wood for fires.

Israel has increased the amount of aid it allows into the territory, reaching an average of 130 trucks a day so far this month, up from around 70 a day in October and November. Still, the amount remains well below than previous months and the United Nations says it is unable to distribute more than half the aid because Israeli forces deny permission to move within Gaza or because of rampant lawlessness and theft from trucks.

Mednick, Goldenberg and Khaled write for the Associated Press. Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv and Khaled from Cairo. Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv contributed to this report.