Gaza Storm Causes Deadly Landslide, Officials Blame Israeli Blockade

The government media office in Gaza stated that a landslide that killed four displaced people and destroyed their tents in Deir al-Balah was an "inevitable result" of the "genocide" and "strangling blockade" imposed by Israel. The disaster occurred during a severe weather system that brought heavy rains and strong winds to the Gaza Strip from Sunday evening to Monday. The storm caused hundreds of tents to flood and a sand dune to collapse onto tents housing displaced individuals in Deir al-Balah, leading to the deaths of four Palestinians and the loss of two others, including women and children, with several more injured.

According to the Gaza Civil Defense, the incident resulted in the deaths of two women and three children, with others injured and searches ongoing for missing persons. The media office described the situation as a "new real tragedy" and highlighted that the storm led to the flooding of 70,000 tents, the collapse of four homes, and damage to dozens of walls. Previous reports indicated that the storm caused injuries, some severe.

The media office attributed the Deir al-Balah incident to the ongoing "genocide," the "strangling blockade," and "arbitrary Israeli occupation measures" that have restricted displacement areas and forced residents into "geographically extremely dangerous areas lacking basic living conditions and safety."

Responsibility for the humanitarian catastrophe was placed on Israel, the United States administration, and the international community, citing their "deafening silence" on Israeli actions and complicity in preventing the entry of essential supplies for shelter, construction, and fuel needed for municipal and civil defense vehicles.

The office also criticized the "Peace Council" and the "National Committee for Gaza Management," established as part of a US plan for post-conflict reconstruction and administration, for allegedly abandoning their responsibilities during this exceptional period. The media office questioned the purpose of these bodies that are "standing by as spectators" while the Palestinian people suffer.

International and human rights organizations were urged to intervene immediately to protect civilians and compel Israel to open crossings for humanitarian aid, construction materials, and heavy equipment necessary for infrastructure repair. The office stressed that these materials are crucial for civil defense and municipal teams to perform their duties and rescue efforts.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are living in tents and temporary shelters after their homes were destroyed by the Israeli military since October 2023. In August, the government media office reported that over 2.15 million displaced people were living in dire conditions, with about 867,000 in dilapidated tents and over a million in shelters. In mid-October, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that approximately 950,000 Palestinians were in displacement sites at medium or high risk of flooding, with insufficient supplies to meet the needs of most families requiring shelter assistance for the winter.