Gaza floods leave 350,000 Palestinians without shelter

Dubai: Heavy rains have flooded at least 70,000 tents sheltering displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, leaving an estimated 350,000 people exposed to the elements and deepening fears of a humanitarian catastrophe as winter approaches.

The flooding has swept through overcrowded displacement camps, soaking mattresses, blankets and clothing, while families already struggling to survive amid the destruction caused by two years of war face another emergency.

Gaza Health Ministry Director-General Munir Al Bursh warned on Sunday that the flooding had left 350,000 displaced Palestinians sleeping in the open and appealed for urgent supplies of tents and other shelter materials.

The crisis turned deadly when a woman and four children were killed after a landslide struck tents housing displaced families in Deir Al Balah in central Gaza on Sunday, according to the territory’s Civil Defence service.

Rescue teams continued searching for people reported missing following the incident.

70,000 tents flooded in just 12 hours

Reuters reported that at least 70,000 tents were flooded within 12 hours of the storm, citing Gaza’s government media office.

Heavy rains and strong winds began battering the territory on Friday evening, turning makeshift displacement camps into muddy pools and forcing families to abandon waterlogged shelters.

Gaza’s Civil Defence service said it had received around 1,500 distress calls from displaced residents.

In some areas, floodwaters reached depths of 1.5 metres, while several buildings already weakened by the war collapsed during the storm.

Three abandoned houses collapsed without causing injuries, according to Civil Defence officials.

Families were seen desperately trying to reinforce their tents with sand, sweep away rainwater and move children to safer locations.

‘What will happen if it rains again?’

At a displacement camp in Gaza City, residents struggled to salvage their belongings after floodwaters entered their tents.

Olfat Magdoub, a displaced Palestinian woman, described how the first day of heavy rain had already overwhelmed families.

“This is the first day of rain, and of course we are already flooded. What will happen if it rains again the next day?” she told Reuters.

Magdoub said earlier rainfall had also flooded her family’s bedding, forcing them to sleep on blankets spread across the ground for several days.

Now, with mattresses soaked again, families face the prospect of sleeping on wet floors as temperatures fall.

The latest storm has exposed the extreme vulnerability of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in temporary shelters that offer little protection from rain, cold and strong winds.

Emergency services overwhelmed

Municipal and Civil Defence officials said they were struggling to respond because of severe fuel shortages and extensive damage to equipment.

Reuters reported that authorities lacked functioning machinery needed to drain floodwaters and clear debris from damaged neighbourhoods.

Palestinian officials said Israeli military operations had destroyed hundreds of vehicles, including bulldozers and equipment used for pumping water.

The destruction has left local authorities with limited capacity to manage flooding or repair damaged infrastructure.

“We have no resources, no tarpaulins, no tents and no one is checking on us,” displaced resident Rafiq Ghattas told Reuters while standing barefoot in floodwater.

“Is the world waiting for our children to freeze?” he asked.

Shelter supplies remain a major concern

Al Bursh called for Gaza’s crossings to be opened to allow urgently needed tents, temporary shelters and reconstruction materials into the territory.

He said thousands of tents were waiting at border crossings but accused Israeli authorities of preventing their entry.

Hamas has similarly blamed Israel for restricting shelter and construction supplies.

Israel’s military aid coordination agency, COGAT, did not immediately respond to the accusations when contacted by Reuters.

However, COGAT said on Friday that it had increased efforts to improve sanitary conditions across Gaza ahead of the forecast heavy rainfall.

The agency said four additional vacuum trucks had entered Gaza through the International Committee of the Red Cross during the week, joining eight others delivered over the previous month.

The vehicles are intended to support sewage pumping, waste removal and repairs to water and sanitation infrastructure.

Reconstruction remains stalled

The latest flooding comes more than a year after a US-brokered ceasefire took effect in October 2025, raising hopes that Gaza’s devastated neighbourhoods could begin rebuilding.

However, reconstruction has made little progress.

Negotiators remain divided over Hamas disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, which continue to control approximately two-thirds of the territory, according to Reuters.

Much of Gaza’s population of more than two million has been displaced, with large numbers living in tents or damaged buildings.

Palestinian authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed since Israel launched its military offensive following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel.

With winter weather intensifying, aid agencies and local officials face growing pressure to secure adequate shelter, restore essential services and prevent further suffering among displaced families.

For thousands who have already lost their homes, the arrival of winter has brought another struggle for survival.