Gaza (QNN)- Israeli weather expert Tzachi Peleg made cynical remarks about Gaza’s displaced families ahead of Storm Byrne. On a local TV program, Peleg said: “Not a single tent will remain… and I have no problem if people do not survive there either.” The storm is expected to hit Gaza tonight.
Peleg predicted that strong winds and heavy rain could destroy most tent camps in the Gaza Strip. He excitedly said that drainage infrastructure is largely destroyed and will not withstand the storm. Underground tunnels are also expected to flood, he added.
The storm is expected to peak Thursday and Friday, with Gaza absorbing 100 to 170 millimeters of rain in a short time; equivalent to a month and a half of normal precipitation.
Official sources warned that Storm Byrne threatens hundreds of thousands of displaced families. Over 1.5 million people in Gaza live in fragile tents or temporary shelters, many for more than a year.
The storm could trigger floods, strong winds, and heavy waves, putting tens of thousands at risk. Authorities fear repeated disasters as residents try to survive in inadequate shelters amid freezing winter conditions.
Humanitarian groups called for urgent action. They urged the international community to pressure Israel to open border crossings, allow emergency supplies, and provide temporary shelters. Over 300,000 tents and mobile homes remain blocked from entering Gaza, worsening the crisis.
The approaching storm compounds Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian catastrophe, which stems from two years of genocide and nearly two decades of Israeli blockade.
