Heavy rain floods tents housing Gaza displaced people, aid shortages hamper response

GAZA/CAIRO: Intense rains have inundated makeshift homes for Palestinian refugees in Gaza, submerging shelters and drenching bedding, according to local officials. At least 70,000 tents have been submerged in the last 12 hours, impacting a large number of displaced individuals and causing injuries, though no deaths have been reported.

The Gaza government reported receiving 1,500 emergency calls from distressed residents. Three abandoned buildings collapsed, but no one was hurt. Tent residents in Gaza City attempted to mend their dwellings, while others used sand to prevent further flooding. Some parents evacuated their children from waterlogged shelters. Olfat Magdoub, a local resident, expressed her frustration, stating, "This is only the first day of rain and we're already overwhelmed.

What if it rains again tomorrow?" Municipal and civil defense authorities admitted their inability to manage the storm due to fuel shortages and damaged equipment. They also blamed Israel for destroying hundreds of vehicles, including machinery used for water extraction, during its conflict with Hamas. Israel continues to control two-thirds of Gaza, preventing the delivery of construction materials and shelter.

Hamas accused Israel of obstructing aid efforts. The Israeli military agency, COGAT, denied the accusations but acknowledged stepping up efforts to improve sanitation in Gaza before the heavy rain. They had supplied four additional vacuum trucks to Gaza this week, joining eight others brought in over the past month. Despite a US-brokered ceasefire last year calling for the reconstruction of Gaza, little progress has been made.