Palestinians suffer flooded tents and debris as cold and rain lash Gaza

After two years of Israeli bombardment, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, surrounded by tents and debris, are suffering from additional winter rain.

On Saturday, the Gaza Strip was swept over by a polar low-pressure system accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds. According to meteorologist Laith al-Allami, it is the third polar low to hit the Palestinian territory over the winter, with a fourth low-pressure system expected to hit the region starting on Monday.

Since the end of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, many families have been residing in tents since late 2023.

Authorities warn that the downpour could become a full-blown storm as the enclave is set to experience freezing temperatures, rain, and strong winds.

In his thorny tent, displaced Palestinian Mohammed Maslah told Al Jazeera he had no choice but to remain in Gaza City.

He told Al Jazeera, “I could not find anywhere in Gaza, except Gaza Port.” Because of Israeli control over my home, I’m compelled to remain here. We were soaked after a brief period of rain.

Shaima Wadi, a mother of four children who fled Jabaliya in the north, spoke to the Associated Press in Deir al-Balah. We have been residing in this tent for two years, according to the statement. We try to put up new pieces of wood whenever it rains and the tent topples over our heads,” she said. We can barely afford clothing for our children or mattresses for them to sleep on because of how expensive everything has become and we don’t have any money.

Gaza’s tents and makeshift shelters were flooded by heavy rains earlier this month, causing the country’s largest city to lose most of its buildings to Israeli attacks.

At least 15 people have died from hypothermia in the past three months in Gaza as a result of rain and freezing temperatures, according to the authorities in Gaza. Israel should grant more shelters and other forms of humanitarian aid, according to aid organizations.

As the weather conditions in the areas where displaced people set up fragile tents deteriorated, Civil Defence’s field operations manager in the Gaza Port region, Ibrahim Abu al-Reesh, said that his teams responded to a number of distress calls.

After some of these ruined tents were flooded by rainwater, he told Al Jazeera, “We worked hard to cover some of these damaged tents with plastic sheets.”

According to Ibrahim Al Khalili of Al Jazeera, who is based in Gaza City, winter has been worse for the suffering of tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees who lack safe havens.

He claimed that “the same misery persists as each rain pours muddy water over neighborhoods.”

talks on a ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington, DC in the coming days as Palestinians battle the Gaza-imposed second stage of the ceasefire.

Slowly, the peace process has advanced. The deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, Hamas’ proposed disarmament, and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the area are among the challenges facing phase two of the ceasefire.

Despite Israel’s repeated violations, the agreement has so far partially been enforced.

More than 414 Palestinians have died and 1,142 have been injured since the ceasefire was in effect, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

Additionally, it stated that 679 people were killed when the rubble was removed during the same time because the truce makes it safer to search for the remains of those killed earlier.

Over the past 48 hours, 29 bodies, including 25 recovered from under the rubble, have been transported to nearby hospitals, according to the ministry on Saturday.

Source: Aljazeera