Heavy rainfall on Friday further deepened the humanitarian catastrophe gripping the Gaza Strip, where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians sought refuge in fragile makeshift tents that collapsed or flooded under severe weather conditions.

Civil Defense teams across the Strip were inundated with urgent calls for rescue as flooding swept through camps already crippled by months of relentless Israeli bombardment.

Tents Collapse Across Gaza City and Central Region         

The Civil Defense in Gaza reported continuous distress calls from dawn as tents were submerged in rainwater in Gaza City’s most densely populated displacement zones, including al-Nafaq, al-Daraj, al-Yarmouk, al-Zaytoun, and the al-Shati refugee camp. Similar scenes of devastation were recorded in the central governorate — from al-Baraka and al-Bassa in Deir al-Balah to areas near the Islamic Bank on Salah al-Din Street west of al-Bureij, and around the Nuseirat market, where flooding overwhelmed entire clusters of displaced families.

Authorities warned that winter storms are arriving as infrastructure lies in ruins, water drainage systems destroyed, and hundreds of thousands forced to live in tents that provide no protection from the cold, rain, or wind. Civil Defense officials called for immediate international intervention, urging countries involved in ceasefire negotiations to address the “humanitarian disaster affecting nearly half a million families uprooted by the Israeli occupation’s ongoing war of extermination.”

They stressed the urgent need for weatherproof shelters, caravans, and housing units to prevent mass casualties as temperatures continue to plummet.

Hamas: Camps Have Become ‘Pools of Mud’

Hamas condemned the deteriorating humanitarian conditions, saying that displacement camps across Gaza have “turned into pools of mud,” leaving thousands exposed to the freezing weather. It said the scenes reflect the escalating suffering forced upon Palestinians and accused the Israeli occupation of deliberately obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid — including tents, prefabricated housing, and essential relief materials.

The movement called on the UN, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and ceasefire guarantors to urgently deliver food, medical supplies, and shelter. It also urged expanded field and popular support to ensure displaced families are not abandoned in what it described as a “catastrophic reality imposed by the occupation.”

900,000 Displaced in Khan Younis at Risk

Saeb Laqqan, spokesperson for the Khan Younis Municipality, warned that more than 900,000 displaced Palestinians are sheltering in makeshift tents in the coastal al-Mawasi area. With a new weather depression approaching, Laqqan expressed grave concern for their safety and called for pressure on the Israeli occupation to allow life-saving municipal equipment into the area.

Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes southeast of Khan Younis on Friday, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, as tanks stationed south of the city opened fire — the latest in a series of violations during what is nominally a ceasefire period.

Israeli Ceasefire Violations Mount

Hamas accused Israel of persistent, daily violations of the ceasefire agreement reached in Sharm el-Sheikh nearly a month ago. The movement said Israel bears full responsibility for undermining the deal, attempting to derail it through continuous attacks.

The Government Media Office in Gaza reported on November 11 that Israel has committed 282 ceasefire violations since the agreement took effect on October 10, resulting in the killing of 242 Palestinians and the wounding of 620 others within a single month.

According to the statement, these violations included 124 airstrikes and attacks, 88 shooting incidents targeting civilians, 52 demolitions of civilian homes, 12 incursions beyond the yellow-line buffer zone, and 23 arrests carried out across the Gaza Strip, underscoring what Palestinian authorities describe as a systematic effort to undermine the ceasefire and perpetuate the suffering of the population.

The figures add to growing evidence that the ceasefire is a façade masking continued aggression, while displaced families — nearly 2 million people — remain trapped in increasingly unlivable conditions.

A Humanitarian Disaster Unfolding in Real Time

As winter rainstorms intensify, Gaza’s displaced population faces a dual threat: the collapse of already inadequate shelters and the continuation of Israeli attacks. Civil Defense officials warned that without immediate international action, thousands could face life-threatening exposure, flooding, and disease.

The crisis highlights the unprecedented scale of suffering imposed on Gaza — a population struggling to survive under siege, amid devastation, and now against the elements, with nowhere left to go and no protection from the ongoing Israeli violations. (ILKHA)