Heavy Rains Flood Gaza Displacement Camps Amidst Aid Efforts Failure

Local authorities in Gaza reported on Saturday that heavy rainfall has inundated tens of thousands of crowded tents housing displaced Palestinians, washing away some temporary shelters and flooding coverings and mattresses. The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza stated that at least 70,000 tents were flooded in the preceding twelve hours, affecting tens of thousands of displaced individuals and causing injuries, though no fatalities were reported. The Civil Defense Directorate in the Strip received 1,500 distress calls, and three abandoned homes collapsed without casualties.

Residents in parts of Gaza City attempted to reinforce their tents with sand barriers to prevent water seepage, while others focused on evacuating children from submerged shelters. Displaced resident Alfat Majdoub described the dire situation, "This is the first day of rain, we are drowned, of course. What will happen if another day comes? This is the first day and we are drowned." She recalled a previous winter where she slept on a blanket for days due to flooding.

Municipal and Civil Defense officials cited a lack of fuel and damaged equipment as reasons for their inability to cope with the storm. They pointed to Israeli destruction of hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and water-pumping machinery, during the war that displaced over two million Gazans and left much of the territory in ruins, forcing most residents into tents.

Hamas accused Israel of preventing the entry of shelters and building materials into Gaza. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military body responsible for aid coordination, has not yet commented on Hamas's accusations. COGAT stated on Friday that it had intensified efforts to improve sanitation in Gaza in anticipation of the heavy rains, in coordination with international organizations.

COGAT also reported that four additional water-pumping trucks entered Gaza last week via the International Committee of the Red Cross, joining eight others brought in the previous month to assist with sewage management, waste removal, and water infrastructure repairs. Despite a US-broketted ceasefire last year calling for Gaza's reconstruction, progress has been minimal, with negotiators failing to agree on terms for Hamas's disarmament or Israeli troop withdrawal from areas where evacuation orders have been issued.