Gaza Herald – Families across Gaza were forced to burn plastic and household waste for heat and cooking as winter conditions intensified and fuel, gas, and firewood remained largely inaccessible under ongoing restrictions and destruction.
Displaced households living in makeshift tents struggled to maintain basic warmth, with many lacking adequate clothing, insulation, or safe heating alternatives. With incomes wiped out and markets depleted, families were unable to afford firewood or cooking gas, leaving toxic materials as their only option despite well-known health risks.
The widespread use of plastic fires reflected the collapse of basic living conditions, as nights grew colder and families endured prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures without electricity, fuel, or shelter capable of offering protection from the elements.
Humanitarian conditions continued to deteriorate amid severe shortages of aid and essential supplies, underscoring a deepening survival crisis in which civilians relied on dangerous coping mechanisms simply to cook food and endure the cold.
