Heavy rainfall on Saturday inundated dozens of tents housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, as civil defense teams worked to respond to widespread flooding in the Al-Mawasi area.
The Gaza Civil Defense said in a statement that its teams responded to the situation after dozens of tents in the refugee camps were submerged in rainwater in several areas of Al-Mawasi, western Khan Younis.
Since early Friday, the Gaza Strip has been under a low-pressure system accompanied by a cold air mass and heavy rainfall, compounding the sufferings of 1.5 million displaced in the war-torn enclave.
According to the Gaza Government Media Office estimates, 93% of all displacement tents are no longer suitable for shelter-125,000 out of a total of 135,000-due to weather factors and damage sustained from Israeli bombardment.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) called Saturday for the entry of sheltering materials into Gaza.
“Winter has come to Gaza,” the UNRWA said on social media platform X.
“Winter rains in Gaza are making conditions even more desperate. Families taking shelter anywhere they can, including in makeshift tents.”
The U.N. agency reiterated that it has the shelter supplies that are urgently needed in Gaza “to help people get through winter.”
Israel continues to block the entry of shelter materials such as tents and mobile homes, reneging on its obligations under the cease-fire agreement that entered into force on Oct. 10.
Phase one of the ceasefire deal, based on U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Israel has killed more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, in Gaza since October 2023 and reduced it to rubble.
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