Heavy rain floods Palestinian refugee camps, hospital in Gaza
Reports from the area indicate that rainwater poured into multiple sections of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, particularly affecting reception areas and emergency units, forcing interruptions to medical services. The hospital, the largest healthcare center in Gaza, has suffered extensive destruction over two years of genocide due to repeated Israeli attacks. Attempts by Gaza’s Health Ministry to restore the facility after the ceasefire have stalled because essential equipment has been barred from entering the territory.
Observers on the ground also described how powerful winds and persistent rain overwhelmed thousands of tents used by displaced families, many of which were submerged or torn away entirely after weather conditions worsened Monday night.
"We woke up with the sound of strong winds hitting our tent. We tried to secure it and hold on to it, but the winds uprooted the tent, and all our belongings flew away,” Khaled Abdel Aziz said.
“I'm outside with my wife and children, sitting in the rain. There is nowhere to shelter," he added.
According to eyewitness accounts, hundreds of residents sought refuge beneath the remnants of buildings previously destroyed by Israeli forces in Gaza City, attempting to shield themselves from rising water and exposure.
In southern Gaza, scenes of chaos unfolded as Maha Abu Jazar, a mother of three, fled with her children after their tent was fully submerged in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Civil Defense warned that ongoing weather conditions pose a serious threat to structures already weakened by previous bombardment. Spokesman Mahmoud Basal cautioned that thousands of partially damaged homes could collapse without warning due to continued rain and strong gusts.
"These homes pose a grave danger to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have found no shelter,” Basal said. “We have warned the world repeatedly, but to no avail.”
Local officials echoed these concerns. Jabalia’s mayor, Mazen Al-Najjar, stated that the severe weather struck while displaced residents were already enduring extreme hardship. “weather depression came as displaced people already live in catastrophic conditions,” he said.
He explained that more than 90% of buildings and roadways in Jabalia and the wider northern Gaza region have been completely destroyed, forcing residents to survive in deteriorating tents.
He added that total infrastructure failure has led to flooded streets and sewage overflow within hours of the storm’s arrival.
The mayor also urged residents to avoid severely damaged buildings, noting that collapses during previous storms had already resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. He emphasized that current relief efforts by municipalities, emergency services, and aid organizations remain vastly insufficient.
Najjar stressed that assistance efforts “do not meet the great and growing need” and appealed for immediate international action, including the deployment of mobile housing units, the creation of safe displacement camps, and urgent repairs to infrastructure and sanitation systems.
The recent storm follows another deadly winter weather event last week that claimed at least 14 lives across Gaza. During that storm, more than 53,000 tents were either partially or completely flooded, swept away, or destroyed by high winds, while 13 buildings collapsed.
Civil Defense estimates suggest nearly 250,000 families are currently living in displacement camps throughout the Gaza Strip, many enduring cold temperatures and repeated flooding inside unstable shelters.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, conditions on the ground have shown little improvement. Aid deliveries remain tightly restricted, violating the humanitarian provisions of the agreement. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 70,600 people—predominantly women and children—and wounded over 171,100 others, with violence continuing despite the truce.
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