Baby Lize Even Dies in Gaza as Israel and Hamas Trade Charges for Delayed Ceasefire

A girl collapsed and died overnight in Gaza, as Israel and Hamas clashed over joint efforts to end the 14-month conflict.

The three-week-old baby was the third to die of cold in the Gaza tent camps in recent days, doctors said. The deaths underscore the squalid conditions, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are crammed into tents that are often torn apart after fleeing Israeli bombings.

Israel's bombing and ground offensive in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, more than half of whom are women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

The attack caused widespread destruction and displaced 90 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million people, often multiple times. Hundreds of thousands are packed into tents on the beach as the cold and wet winter begins. Aid groups have struggled to deliver food and supplies and say there are shortages of blankets, warm clothes and firewood.

Israel has increased the amount of aid it allows to the region, averaging 130 trucks a day so far this month, up from about 70 a day in October and November. Nevertheless, the number remains much lower than in previous months and the UN says it cannot distribute more than half of the aid because the Israeli forces deny permission to travel inside Gaza or because of rampant lawlessness and theft from trucks.

The father of three-week-old Sila Mahmoud al-Faseeh wrapped him in a blanket to try to keep him warm in their tent in the Muwasi area outside Khan Younis, but it was not enough, he told the Associated Press. Mahmoud al-Faseeh said the tent was not closed because of the wind and the ground was cold, as temperatures on Tuesday night dropped to 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit.) Muwasi is a desolate area of ​​dunes and farms on Gaza's Mediterranean coast.

“It was cold all night and as adults we couldn't bear it. We couldn't warm up,” he said. Sila woke up crying three times in the night, in the morning they found him unresponsive, his body was stiff, he said.

“He was like wood,” said al-Faseeh. They rushed him to a field hospital where doctors tried to revive him, but his lungs had rotted. Pictures of Sila taken by the AP show a little girl with purple lips, her skin pale.

Ahmed al-Farra, director of the children's ward at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, confirmed that the child died of hypothermia. He said two other children – one 3 days old, the other a month old – were brought to the hospital 48 hours ago after dying of hypothermia.

Meanwhile, prospects for a ceasefire looked grim on Wednesday as Israel and Hamas accused each other of delaying the deal.

In recent weeks, the two sides appeared to be entering into an agreement that will bring home a number of hostages from Gaza, but there are differences.

Although Israel and Hamas have expressed hope that progress has been made on the deal, points remain over the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, people involved in the talks said.

On Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of introducing new conditions related to the withdrawal from Gaza, prisoners and the return of exiles, which it said was delaying the deal.

The Israeli government has accused Hamas of withdrawing from the understanding that has been reached.” However, both sides said talks are still ongoing.

Israel's negotiating team, which includes members of its intelligence and military agencies, returned to Qatar on Tuesday evening for internal consultations, following a week of what it called “crucial talks.”

During its attack on southern Israel on October 7, Hamas and other groups took about 250 people hostage and brought them to Gaza. A previous deal in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others were rescued or their remains found last year.

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

Irregular talks have been going on for over a year, but in recent weeks there has been a renewed push to reach an agreement.

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

Families of the hostages are increasingly angry, calling on the Israeli government to end the war before Trump is sworn in.

After Israel's high-level negotiating team returned from Doha this week, the families of the hostages called an emergency press conference in Tel Aviv, calling for a ceasefire and a complete end to the conflict.

Shir Siegel, the daughter of Israeli-American Keith Siegel, whose mother was released after more than 50 days in captivity, said that any delay would put their lives in danger. “There are times when every second is a disaster, and this is one of those times,” he said.

The deal will take effect in phases and include a ceasefire, an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and an increase in aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Egyptian, Hamas and US officials. The final phase will include the release of any remaining hostages, an end to the war and reconstruction negotiations.