Heavy rain in Gaza: tens of thousands of displaced people's tents flooded

Flooding caused by heavy rain has damaged the tents and shelters of tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians across Gaza, officials said. In Gaza city's Remal neighbourhood, a displaced Palestinian was seen draining muddy water from his tent.

A dispatch from northern Gaza city said the makeshift tents in which displaced people are forced to live offered inadequate protection from the severe weather.

"The recent storm exposed how fragile this protection is. Within a few hours, heavy rain and strong winds tore apart the tents families had spent days trying to reinforce," the dispatch said.

Soaked mattresses, pillows and clothes were seen, and around 400,000 displaced Palestinians are staying in places highly vulnerable to further flooding, it noted. Heavy rain and strong winds have battered Gaza since Friday night; 70,000 tents were submerged and several dozen walls collapsed, the government media office said.

The flooding comes as the humanitarian crisis deepens, with Israel continuing to impose strict restrictions on bringing aid into the war-shattered territory. From Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, it was reported that families whose shelters were submerged had received no food aid since early Saturday.

The UN children's agency's special representative for Palestine said most people were living in "deplorable conditions" and appealed for more funding for essential aid.

Damage from the storm is estimated at 3 million dollars, the Gaza government media office said. Relief organisations, however, have struggled for many years to bring in aid supplies.

Gaza's civil defence said it received at least 1,500 emergency calls. More than 2,000 buildings are at risk of collapse, and at least 300,000 tents are needed to house displaced people affected by the weather, it noted.

The war that began on October 7, 2023 destroyed Gaza's homes and infrastructure, and continuing restrictions on aid, shelter materials and reconstruction supplies have further hampered relief efforts.

More than 74,640 people have been killed since October 7, 2023. At least 1,610 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into force in October 2025, it was reported.