A severe winter storm struck the Gaza Strip on Sunday, flooding 70,000 tents and leaving tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians without adequate shelter.
Heavy rains and strong winds began hitting the territory late Friday, tearing through makeshift shelters that families had spent days trying to reinforce. Ibrahim al-Khalili, reporting from Gaza City, said the latest storm exposed the extreme fragility of the protection available.
"The latest storm exposed just how fragile the protection is," al-Khalili said. He reported seeing soaked mattresses, pillows and clothes in areas where nearly 400,000 displaced Palestinians are sheltering in locations considered highly vulnerable to flooding.
The Government Media Office stated that the heavy weather also brought down dozens of walls across the territory. The storm caused damage estimated at three million dollars.
Ashraf Abu Amra, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, said displaced families whose shelters were flooded had received no food aid since early Saturday. This disruption comes as Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on aid supplies entering the war-ravaged territory.
Jonathan Veitch, the UNICEF special representative in Palestine, said the majority of people are living in terrible conditions. He called for more funding to provide much-needed aid to the population.
The Gaza Civil Defence reported receiving at least 1,500 emergency calls during the weather event. The agency warned that more than 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapse.
Civil Defence officials stated that at least 300,000 tents are needed immediately to provide adequate shelter for displaced people affected by the weather conditions. Relief organisations have struggled for years to bring in relief and support due to ongoing restrictions.
The current crisis follows the military campaign that began on October 7, 2023, which devastated homes and infrastructure across Gaza. Continuing restrictions on aid, shelter supplies and reconstruction materials have severely hampered relief efforts.
More than 74,640 people have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Since a ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israel has killed at least 1,610 Palestinians.
