Heavy rains leave tens of thousands without shelter in Gaza

Gaza City, Gaza Strip - Heavy rains have inundated tens of thousands of displaced people's tents in the war-torn territory, leaving them without shelter and exposing them to the risk of diseases and epidemics, Palestinian civil society organizations warn. On the first day of the rain, about 70,000 tents, housing tens of thousands of displaced individuals, were flooded, according to Hamas-run government media office.

Dozens of cracked walls and roofs collapsed, resulting in injuries, some critical, across various areas. Civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal reported receiving over 1,500 calls from residents seeking urgent assistance for flooded tents. The agency, however, is operating without any equipment or capabilities. Gaza's displaced families, including 45-year-old Um Muhammad al-Hersh and 34-year-old Maryam Odeh, expressed their suffering, struggling to find protection for their belongings and children.

Khaled al-Najjar, 41, emphasized the imminent threat of cold and diseases. A coalition of Palestinian civil society organizations issued an urgent distress call to the international community and humanitarian organizations, urging immediate intervention to save hundreds of thousands of displaced people from the flooding. The coalition, comprising dozens of local institutions and organizations, called for pressure on Israel to permit unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid.

Since the fragile ceasefire on October 10, 2025, following a two-year conflict, Israel has continued airstrikes and ground operations nearly daily. Gaza city council member Mustafa Qazzaat lamented that Israel has not allowed prefabricated homes to shelter the displaced since the ceasefire and has only permitted a limited number of tents.

Qazzaat emphasized Gaza's urgent need for 200,000 prefabricated homes, heavy machinery to remove rubble, and immediate provision of electricity, heating, and road access.