Storm Damages Thousands of Tents in Gaza

A severe winter storm has torn through Gaza Strip, destroying or dislodging thousands of tents used by displaced families and sharply worsening an already critical humanitarian situation, according to Gaza’s emergency services.

Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defence, said yesterday powerful winds and heavy rainfall caused extensive damage to makeshift shelters across the territory. Coastal areas were hit particularly hard, with gusts reaching around 60 kilometers per hour, ripping tents apart or carrying them away entirely.

Basal said the crisis cannot be viewed as a natural disaster alone, arguing that restrictions on humanitarian and reconstruction supplies have left displaced residents dangerously exposed.

“This is not just about bad weather,” he said. “Preventing the entry of construction materials and blocking reconstruction has forced people to survive in fragile tents and unsafe, damaged buildings, without protection or dignity.”

Meteorological officials in Gaza reported that the storm system began late Friday and is expected to continue, bringing intermittent rainfall and strong winds in several areas.

Basal warned that each new storm now escalates into what he described as a full-scale humanitarian emergency, as thousands of shelters remain highly vulnerable to collapse or displacement.

He added that many families were pushed to set up tents along the coastline after large sections of urban Gaza were rendered uninhabitable by prolonged bombardment, leaving few viable options inland.

A similar storm in late December flooded hundreds of tents sheltering displaced people near Khan Younis, when seawater surged into coastal camps.

Beyond tents, Basal also highlighted the danger posed by thousands of partially destroyed buildings. Cracked walls and weakened structures, he said, are at constant risk of collapse during heavy rain and high winds.

In recent months, several residential buildings previously damaged by air strikes have collapsed during storms, causing injuries and deaths, according to Civil Defence officials.

“People are surviving in torn tents and unstable homes, without even the most basic safety conditions,” Basal said. “These are circumstances that fall far below minimum humanitarian standards.”

He stressed that the living conditions in Gaza represent a serious breach of international humanitarian principles.

Since October 2023, Israeli military operations by the Israel Defense Forces have resulted in more than 71,000 deaths, the majority women and children, and over 171,000 injuries, according to Palestinian authorities, leaving much of Gaza devastated.

Although a ceasefire came into effect on October 10, Palestinian health officials report that Israeli attacks have continued, killing 424 people and injuring 1,189 others during the truce period.