Heavy rains flood tents sheltering displaced Gazans for 3rd day

GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

Dozens of tents sheltering displaced families have been flooded by rainwater in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the Civil Defense said Sunday.

For the third consecutive day, Gaza has been affected by a weather depression accompanied by cold air, rain, and strong winds, with meteorological forecasts expecting it to subside by Sunday evening.

Stormy winds have caused thousands of tents to collapse or be blown away, leaving families staying on the streets and forcing many to seek shelter inside destroyed buildings that pose serious safety risks.

In a statement, the Gaza Civil Defense renewed warnings about the “risk of destroyed, structurally unstable buildings collapsing on their occupants” due to heavy rain and winds.

“We have recorded a large-scale disaster caused by the storm that hit Gaza amid the massive destruction inflicted by Israel during two years of genocide,” spokesman Mahmoud Basal said.

He appealed to the international community to assume its responsibilities and provide urgent relief to Palestinians in Gaza.

“Every passing second brings more harm and pain to the Palestinian people.”

According to the Gaza Media Office, 1.5 million Palestinians are displaced in Gaza, living in catastrophic conditions with little access to basic necessities and severely limited essential services due to Israel’s ongoing blockade.

Israel has killed more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, in attacks in Gaza since October 2023 and reduced it to rubble.