DaysofPal – Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip are once again battling harsh winter conditions, as heavy rain and powerful winds batter fragile tent camps erected amid the rubble left by more than two years of Israeli bombardment.
A polar low-pressure system swept across Gaza on Saturday, bringing torrential rain and strong gusts that flooded tents and makeshift shelters. According to meteorologist Laith al-Allami, this marks the third polar low to hit Gaza this winter, with a fourth system expected to arrive on Monday, raising fears of even harsher weather in the coming days.
Most displaced families have been living in tents since late 2023, after Israel’s war destroyed or damaged the vast majority of homes and infrastructure across the enclave. With freezing temperatures forecast, authorities have warned that the rain could intensify into a severe storm, further endangering people already living in extremely vulnerable conditions.
In Gaza City, Mohammed Maslah, who has been displaced and is now sheltering near Gaza Port, described the impossibility of finding safer housing. Sitting inside his battered tent, he said he had no alternative.
“I couldn’t find anywhere to live in Gaza except here,” he told Al Jazeera. “My home is under Israeli control. After just a few hours of rain, we were completely soaked.”
Further south in Deir al-Balah, Shaima Wadi, a mother of four displaced from Jabaliya in northern Gaza, shared a similar struggle. “We have been living in this tent for two years,” she told the Associated Press.
“Every time it rains and the tent collapses on us, we try to fix it with bits of wood. Everything is so expensive now, and without any income, we can barely afford clothes or mattresses for our children.”
Earlier this month, heavy rains flooded large areas of Gaza, overwhelming tents and makeshift shelters in neighborhoods where buildings have already been reduced to ruins. Gaza authorities say that at least 15 people, including three infants, have died from hypothermia in December alone, while several weakened structures collapsed under the pressure of wind and rain.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly urged Israel to allow more shelter materials and emergency aid into Gaza, warning that winter conditions are proving deadly for displaced families living without adequate protection.
Ibrahim Abu al-Reesh, head of field operations for Gaza’s Civil Defence in the port area, said emergency crews have been overwhelmed by distress calls as the weather worsens.
“Our teams worked tirelessly to cover damaged tents with plastic sheets after they were flooded by rainwater,” he told Al Jazeera, noting that resources remain extremely limited.
Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera correspondent Ibrahim al-Khalili said winter has become another layer of suffering for displaced Palestinians. “With every rainfall, the same misery repeats,” he said. “Entire neighborhoods turn into muddy pools, and families are left exposed to cold, hunger, and illness.”
Ceasefire Talks and Continuing Death Toll
The worsening humanitarian situation comes as diplomatic efforts continue around the ceasefire that took effect on October 10. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington in the coming days, while negotiators discuss the second phase of the agreement.
Talks have progressed slowly, with unresolved issues including the deployment of an international stabilization force, the formation of a technocratic governing body in Gaza, the proposed disarmament of Hamas, and further Israeli troop withdrawals. Despite the ceasefire, violations have continued.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 414 Palestinians have been killed and 1,142 wounded since the truce began. During the same period, the bodies of 679 people were recovered from beneath the rubble, as the pause in fighting made search operations safer.
Over the past 48 hours alone, the ministry reported that 29 bodies, 25 of them retrieved from collapsed buildings, were brought to hospitals. Overall, the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has risen to at least 71,266 Palestinians, with 171,219 others injured.
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