Gaza (QNN)- Heavy rainfall has once again flooded hundreds of tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip, as they endure harsh winter conditions with little to no protection after two years of Israeli genocide and amid ongoing restrictions on aid.
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Videos circulating on social media show tents being blown away, strong winds scattering belongings, displaced people pleading for help, and children shivering from the cold for two nights after the storm accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds battered the Strip on late Wednesday.
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Heavy winter rains and strong winds have brought new challenges to displaced Palestinians in the war-torn Gaza Strip.
“What is happening is not a weather crisis, but a direct result of preventing the entry of building materials and disrupting reconstruction, as people are living in torn tents and cracked houses without safety or dignity,” Gaza’s Civil Defense said.
Accoridng to offical numbers, more than 127,000 of the 135,000 tents have been rendered unusable because of the recent storms.
The harsh winter conditions have also caused the collapse of previously damaged buildings by relentless Israeli bombing, leading to the deaths of dozens.
“All the victims were displaced Palestinians living in forced displacement camps,” the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
Medical sources in Gaza have reported that hospitals across the territory have been observing an influx of patients, particularly children, with cold-related illnesses.
UNRWA confirmed that “harsh weather in Gaza has led to a surge in respiratory illnesses. Severe overcrowding and the lack of dignified living conditions have contributed to an increase in skin diseases, and the spread of lice.”
Israel’s two-year war has destroyed more than 80 percent of the structures across Gaza, forcing hundreds of thousands of families to take refuge in flimsy tents or overcrowded makeshift shelters.
Humanitarian groups have immediately urged Israel to allow unimpeded deliveries of aid to Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire which took effect in October, Israel has continued to kill Palestinians in Gaza and restricted the entry of much-needed aid, including shelter materials, violating the agreement.
“Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference from the two parties through the United Nations and its agencies, and the Red Crescent, in addition to other international institutions not associated in any manner with either party,” Trump’s “20-point peace plan” says.
Recently, more than 100 aid groups accused Israel of obstructing life-saving aid from entering Gaza and called on it to end its “weaponisation of aid”.
