Gaza Peace Board Urges Israel to Allow Winter Aid Amid Flooding Crisis

The Board of Peace, established under the United States peace plan, urged Israeli authorities on Monday to permit more humanitarian aid into Gaza ahead of winter. The body warned that cold weather could worsen the already precarious situation of the Palestinian population.

The board described the situation as an immediate humanitarian emergency caused by the arrival of winter and called it a predictable humanitarian problem. It specifically urged Israel to authorize and facilitate the entry of materials for temporary shelter, water and sanitation infrastructure, waste management, drainage and sewage removal.

“We have repeatedly pressed Hamas to agree to lay down its arms, relinquish governing authority and fulfill its obligations under the plan.”

Heavy rainfall inundated more than 70,000 tents housing displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip during the first 12 hours of a severe weather system. Preliminary damage was estimated at USD 3 million, according to Gaza's Government Media Office on Saturday, November 7.

Displaced families already living in precarious and extremely difficult conditions have now been exposed to cold and unsafe conditions, the board said. Dozens of thousands of tents and makeshift shelters were flooded during severe floods in the Strip over the past two days.

The board acknowledged important humanitarian advances over the last year, including access to food that allowed a drastic improvement in nutrition. It argued these gains must be protected and accelerated, not undermined by avoidable humanitarian emergencies.

At the same time, the board said it has repeatedly pressed Hamas to agree to lay down its arms, relinquish governing authority and fulfill its obligations under the plan. It also criticized the lack of Israeli response and delays in shipment approvals under agreements reached in Sharm El Sheikh.

The Board of Peace comprises 28 member states, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. President Donald Trump's board brokered a ceasefire a year ago aiming to end Israel's war in Gaza.