DaysofPal- At least twelve people have died, and tens of thousands of displacement tents have been destroyed as the polar storm “Piron” swept across the Gaza Strip from Wednesday night through Friday, unleashing severe flooding, violent winds, and thunderstorms that turned earlier government warnings into a grim reality.
The Government Media Office said the storm has placed more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians in immediate danger, as flash floods and collapsing structures threaten areas already devastated by previous Israeli bombardments.
With hundreds of thousands of families still living in worn-out tents and makeshift shelters for more than two years, officials described the situation as an unprecedented humanitarian emergency.
According to the statement, at least twelve people, among them martyrs and missing individuals, were reported dead due to the storm’s impact.
Thirteen homes, including several in al-Karama and Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City, collapsed after heavy rains further weakened buildings already damaged by airstrikes. Civil defense teams are responding to hundreds of non-stop distress calls as conditions deteriorate.
The storm has caused extensive destruction in displacement camps, with over 27,000 tents flooded, torn apart, or swept away by strong winds, directly affecting more than 250,000 displaced residents.
Officials warned that the unfolding disaster reflects long-standing fears: families sheltering in fragile tents ill-equipped to withstand winter storms, while international protection remains absent.
Authorities stressed that the storm struck amid an already deepening crisis caused by the Israeli blockade and ongoing military operations.
Israeli forces continue to block essential aid, including 300,000 urgently requested tents, mobile homes, caravans, and emergency shelter kits.
The statement said these policies amount to a violation of international humanitarian law and leave civilians without safe alternatives.
The Government Media Office called on the United Nations, international organizations, U.S. President Donald Trump, mediators, ceasefire guarantors, friendly nations, and donor agencies to intervene immediately, pressure the Israeli occupation to open border crossings, and allow the entry of shelter materials and emergency supplies.
It urged rapid assistance for civil defense teams and immediate protection for the hundreds of thousands affected, warning that more flooding and building collapses are expected in the coming hours and in future storms.
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