In brief
A heavy rain storm on Saturday washed water into thousands of tents across Gaza, with water levels rising 30‑40 cm. Civil Defence crews received about 1,500 calls in ten hours as buildings collapsed and families were left exposed. Aid groups warn that Israeli restrictions are limiting deliveries of tents, heating and other supplies, while the emergency committee says roughly one million displaced people face the dangers of the cold season.
On Saturday, a heavy rainstorm rolled across Gaza, flooding thousands of tents used by displaced families. Water rose 30‑40 cm in many shelter sites, forcing people out into the open and into the cold.
The civil‑defence agency recorded nearly 1,500 distress calls in just ten hours after the rain began. “What we feared has actually happened,” said spokesperson Mahmoud Basal. He added that a few shelter centres were completely flooded and that “those living in tents are at risk of death at any moment, and of illness at any moment.”
Strong winds and rain also brought down buildings damaged during Israel’s war. Rescuers evacuated residents of a partially collapsed building in Nuseirat and a wall fell in northern Gaza, injuring two people, according to the Wafa news agency.
In al‑Mawasi, where more than 900,000 displaced people are sheltering, thousands of tents were flooded overnight. More than 125,000 families along the coast face the danger of their tents being swept away by rising sea water.
The Gaza emergency committee said over one million displaced people are now exposed to winter weather and that the territory urgently needs about 200,000 tents and heating supplies to keep families safe.
Aid groups warn that Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries are limiting the supply of essential items to the region, adding to the difficulty of responding to the crisis.
