DaysofPal- Heavy rain and strong winds sweeping across the Gaza Strip have intensified the suffering of displaced Palestinians, damaging makeshift shelters, injuring a number of children, and worsening already dire humanitarian conditions as thousands face winter exposure amid ongoing conflict and shortages.
Local sources said children from the Al-Radi family were injured in the northern city of Beit Lahia after strong winds caused a wall to collapse.
The incident occurred as a fast-moving weather system struck Gaza early Friday, bringing heavy rainfall and powerful gusts that battered fragile displacement camps across the territory.
Conditions have been especially severe in the Al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis, where wind and rain uprooted and flooded dozens of tents housing displaced families.
Aid workers said the storm has left many families without shelter, compounding hardship for people already living in extreme vulnerability with few alternatives for refuge.
Meteorologist Laith Al-Allami said the Palestinian territories are currently affected by a low-pressure system producing heavy rain and winds reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour.
He also warned of high sea waves along Gaza’s coastline, posing additional danger to tents erected near the shore.
While the current system is expected to weaken by Friday evening, Al-Allami cautioned that forecasts point to a stronger, polar-origin weather depression likely to hit the region between Monday and Wednesday.
He said the expected storm could bring colder temperatures, heavier rainfall, and stronger winds, increasing the risk of flooding and the collapse of temporary shelters.
The warnings have revived memories of late December, when storm surges flooded coastal displacement camps in Khan Younis, submerging hundreds of tents and leaving families stranded.
Humanitarian organizations say winter weather is worsening an already catastrophic situation marked by shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and proper shelter.
Many displaced families are living in thin nylon tents that offer little protection from rain or wind, while others are sheltering in streets, schools, or open areas without heating as temperatures drop at night.
Fuel shortages have further aggravated conditions, preventing families from warming their shelters. With much of Gaza’s housing stock destroyed and construction materials restricted, some families have sought refuge in damaged and unstable buildings despite the risk of collapse.
A recent investigation by The Guardian reported that thousands of tents supplied to Gaza from abroad fail to meet basic safety standards and provide insufficient protection from harsh weather.
UN estimates indicate that recent storms have damaged or destroyed thousands of tents, affecting at least 235,000 displaced people.
Aid agencies have also warned that new Israeli regulations tightening registration requirements for humanitarian organizations could further limit relief operations, raising fears of severe consequences as Gaza braces for additional winter storms.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, nearly 969 ceasefire violations have been recorded since October 10, resulting in more than 425 deaths.
Since the start of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 71,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 171,000 injured, the majority of them women and children.
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