DaysofPal – Gaza’s Civil Defense announced on Wednesday that at least 17 Palestinians have died as a result of severe weather systems battering the besieged enclave, with four of the victims being children who succumbed to extreme cold. Residential buildings that had been weakened by months of destruction collapsed, resulting in the remaining deaths.
Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, said more than 17 residential buildings have completely collapsed since the onset of the recent weather depressions, while over 90 additional structures have suffered serious partial damage, posing an immediate threat to the lives of thousands of residents.
Basal added that nearly 90 percent of displacement shelters across the Gaza Strip have been fully flooded by rainwater and flash floods. He said all tents sheltering displaced families in various parts of the territory were damaged and submerged, leaving thousands of families without temporary shelter and destroying their clothes, blankets, and bedding, further deepening an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.
Since the storms began, Civil Defense teams have received more than 5,000 emergency calls and distress appeals from residents, Basal said, noting that rescue crews are operating with extremely limited resources while facing a disaster far beyond their capacity.
He renewed an urgent appeal to the international community and humanitarian organizations to intervene immediately to provide relief and meet urgent humanitarian needs.
Basal stressed that tents have proven to be a complete failure in Gaza’s conditions and called for an end to their use altogether.
Instead, he urged the immediate launch of reconstruction efforts and the provision of safe, dignified housing that can protect civilians’ lives, particularly in light of harsh weather conditions and the deteriorating humanitarian reality in the territory.
The unfolding crisis comes amid Israel’s failure to uphold its obligations under the ceasefire agreement in effect since 10 October, including provisions for the entry of shelter materials, 300,000 tents, and mobile housing units, according to repeated statements by Gaza’s Government Media Office.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces carried out a limited military incursion northeast of Deir al-Balah while also continuing to bombard different parts of the Gaza Strip. Civil Defense teams also recovered six Palestinians, including two children, after the roof of a house collapsed on them in Al-Shati refugee camp due to heavy rainfall.
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